Eternal Sunset
by Mrs. Agget
Summary: What happens when Edward is the human and Jasper is the vampire? My version of a twisted Twilight. First installment of a 3 fic series.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey y'all. I am reposting this because it got pulled a while back :)**

**Thank you to my prereaders, Kerrfrano and Delphius Fanfic, and to my beta, Layne Faire. They make my writing readable :)**

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own this fic.**

**Dedicated to Kerrfrano**

**JPOV**

In the many, many years of my existence, I had never been drawn to anyone. I had heard that every vampire had a mate somewhere, but I didn't truly believe it until I met Carlisle and Esme. They were mates in every sense of the word. They loved each other deeply and protected each other fiercely. It was an amazing thing to witness.

During the 1800's, I was turned by Maria, an awful, vengeful, bloodthirsty woman whose only desire in life was power. She was the one who told me about mates, and she truly thought I was hers. I wasn't. I knew I wasn't, because in the army Maria created to kill and conquer, I had a friend named Peter, who had found his mate, but lost her. He explained to me how finding your mate truly felt, and I know I never felt that way for Maria.

After too long in Maria's army, I grew bored, and tired. I wasn't happy with my existence, with the way she was so intent on gaining land and turning everyone she could. She wanted to make a vampire nation, but I knew I could never be content that way. I had no regrets when I killed her and fled. I had to get away from the carnage; it was eating me alive. I had a yearning to be a good person, if such a thing could be possible, being a vampire.

After wandering around from country to country, I found myself in the United States, in Texas, the original place of my birth. It was the 1940's by then, and I lived content for most of a decade, holed up in a small cabin and enjoying the night life, until I met Miss Alice Brandon. She sure was something, sitting in a diner that I happened to wander into to get out of the pouring rain. When she addressed me by my given name, I was shocked, and found myself talking to her for hours on end.

Miss Brandon told me her story and I told her mine. She had woken up in a mental asylum a vampire. She had no knowledge of who turned her or why. I reckoned that had to be an awful way to find out. She guessed she had been put in the asylum because of her visions of the future, and I was surprised when she told me our meeting wasn't by accident.

According to her, there was a family in Forks, Washington, who would be willing to take us in as adopted children. She said they would teach us their way of life, which was not to prey on humans. They drank animal blood. The idea was absurd to me, and I laughed, much to Miss Brandon's chagrin. I had only ever fed on humans, and couldn't imagine drinking anything else. Vampires were meant to drink human blood, not animals. Besides, the only humans I ever drained were offenders of some sort: murderers, rapists, and the like. Never did I take the life of an innocent, not even with Maria.

I was told that I would go with her, we would be welcomed with open arms, and I would adapt to drinking the animal blood. When I asked Miss Brandon why I was expected to go to Forks, she stunned me with two words.

"Your mate."

Ah, Maria had told me about mates once. She said that the reason vampires have mates is so we don't have to be alone for eternity. I asked her how I would know when I found mine, and she told me that with one look into the person's eyes, the world would cease to exist except him or her.

Of course, I wondered if she had been feeding me lies, but now, with Miss Brandon telling me I would find my mate in Forks, I knew I would go with her, just to see if she was right.

"How do you know that?" I had asked, and she just smiled and tapped her temple.

We left shortly thereafter, when the rain stopped, making our trek to Forks. During our travels, Alice tried to get me to dine on animals, and I did a few times, but found the blood to be lacking, always leaving me with a slight burning in the back of my throat. Of course, when I could, I indulged in human blood, which sated me like nothing else. Alice always chastised me for partaking, but the pull to drink from them was too strong.

When we arrived in Forks, I immediately understood why Carlisle and Esme Cullen had chosen that place to reside. It was gloomy and cloudy, with almost constant rain, which allowed us to be outside in the daytime. No, the sun didn't burn us, but caused a reaction with our skin that would make humans easily see that we were different. I often wondered how anyone could want to live in such a place.

We found out the Cullens had already 'adopted' one daughter, a willowy blonde by the name of Rosalie Hale. Esme and Carlisle were hoping she would be my mate, but she wasn't. Alice told everyone that I would find my mate in time, and that person would be worth waiting for.

The Cullens, Alice, Rosalie, and I spent time getting to know one another, and they helped me overcome my thirst for humans. It was still there, buried deep inside, but I could control it for the most part.

Once, while hunting with my untraditional 'family', we came upon a human in the woods. He had been mauled almost to death by a bear and, after one look at the poor soul, Rosalie was pleading with Carlisle to help him. Carlisle wasted no time in taking him back to our house and, deeming the human's injuries too severe to try to heal, changed him.

Carlisle bringing that human into our house was the worst temptation I had had in a long time, and Alice had to take me away while he changed. His name was Emmett McCarty, and as we got to know each other, he grew to be a loving brother.

After my time of being with Maria, being alone, I realised that I was missing something, and I started to long to find my mate. Alice stressed to me over and over that my mate would be near before I knew what happened, but it didn't help the endless days and nights of wondering and wanting. I saw Emmett and Rosalie together, along with Esme and Carlisle, and I had to admit I was jealous of them. We had arrived in Forks in 1956, and I remained alone for decades after.

For forty years, we alternated between hiding in Forks and staying with the Denali coven in Alaska. By the mid 2000's, Esme was getting tired of all the moving and told Carlisle she wanted a permanent home. That's how we ended up residing semi permanently in Forks.

Then, on one fateful day in 2008, my life was changed forever.

~/\oOo/\~

It was January of 2008, the beginning of the new semester at Forks High. Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and I were all going to school for the first time, in our Junior year, to keep up appearances. Carlisle was working at Forks Hospital, and Esme was staying home, painting and doing whatever she does while we're gone.

It was a Monday, it was raining, and we arrived to school as we usually did, in Emmett's Jeep. The school day started out as it usually did, all of us staying together and as far away from everyone else as we could. Alice was getting on my nerves; her anxiety and excitement were through the roof. She informed us of the new students that were going to be there, but I really didn't care. It would be more humans around to give us funny looks.

Even though she had talked about them almost non-stop, letting us know that one was a boy and the other was a girl, brother and sister, we had yet to see them. When he bell rang signaling the beginning of first period, I was happy to go, if only to get away from Alice's energy. I had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

My first and second classes were droll. The kids in the class kept talking about the newcomers, trying to get any information about them that they could. I found it boring.

Rosalie shared my third class with me, Spanish, and we sat together in the back of the room. When the teacher had given us our work for the day, Rose leaned slightly toward me, mumbled, "I saw them," low enough for only my ears to hear.

"So?" I answered her, wondering why she was telling me.

"Oh nothing," she teased, and I shot her a glare. She was acting just like Alice had that morning.

When Spanish was over, we went to lunch, getting food but only picking at it while we sat at our usual table in the corner. There was a commotion at one of the nearby tables, and that's when I saw them: the new kids. They were sitting with their backs to us. The girl had brown hair just past her shoulders and the boy looked to be quite tall, with short, copper colored hair. They didn't seem that fantastic to me, although I did notice that the boy had a fine ass. Alice and Rosalie sat giggling like they knew something I didn't. They probably did.

Heaving a sigh that I really didn't need, I wished for the day to be over.

My fourth class was Biology, and I was lucky enough to have a lab table all to myself. No one wanted to sit with the strange pale kid, and that was fine with me. There was a girl named Jessica in the class, and she was the school's resident loudmouth. Her irritating voice brought me out of my thoughts and I looked toward the door. She was leading the new boy in, chatting in his ear, and he looked extremely uncomfortable. I had to smile a bit to myself at that.

Jessica passed by me, giving me a glare, as she went to her table, and the new boy talked with Mr. Molina. I was a little taken aback when I heard Mr. Molina tell him to sit with me, but readied myself for the torture.

When the boy, Edward Masen was his name, looked up to see where I was sitting, his eyes locked on mine at the same time the oscillating fan blew in my direction. It felt like the whole world shifted under me and nothing else in the entire world existed but him. Edward.

He smelled so delicious, I managed to restrain myself by gripping the edges of the lab table. Venom was pooling in my mouth, urging me to mark him, taste him, change him, and make him mine. In that instant, I knew he was my mate.

If I had the need for oxygen, I wouldn't have been able to take any in. That...boy...a human...was the only one who could make my existence complete, and he had no idea. I needed to talk to Carlisle, right away.

When my...Edward...sat next to me at the table, the urge to take him by the arm and lead him out to the surrounding woods so I could claim him was so strong. I had to use every bit of my self control to keep myself in check. His scent was all around me, torturing me insufferably, and I caught him looking over at me a couple of times with confusion in his perfect shamrock eyes.

I couldn't talk to him; I didn't dare. If I opened my mouth, I was afraid of what I might do. The other people in the room probably wouldn't have appreciated a show in the middle of class.

It seemed like the hands on the clock were moving so slowly. I never took my eyes from it, urging time to go faster so I could make my escape. Mere seconds before the bell rang, I had all my things in my arms, ready to flee. The shrill sound echoing in my ears caused me to jump, and I was out the door before anyone could notice I was gone.

I left the school through one of the back doors, and maintained human speed until I was safe inside the woods around the school. My sister and brother would find out from Alice where I had gone.

Running as fast as I dared, I went to the hospital to see if Carlisle was there. It was probably a bad move, with the way I was feeling and all of those broken humans inside. Standing in the woods facing the building, I pulled my phone out and pushed the number on my speed dial for Carlisle.

Thankfully, he answered after only two rings. "Jasper, what's wrong?"

The sound of his voice calmed me a bit, and I took a deep breath. "Carlisle, I found my mate...he's in one of my classes at school. He had to sit next to me and I had to fight myself not to take him right there in class. Please, I don't know what to do. Are you at the hospital?"

"Calm down, son. I'm at home. Are you coming?"

"On my way," I replied, then shoved my phone back into my pocket and ran home at full speed. When I walked into the house, Esme was waiting for me with a big smile on her face. I knew that she wanted to tell me she was happy for me, but I needed Carlisle. Surely, he would help me figure out what to do. I thought mates were something Maria made up to get me to stay with her. After one look at Edward, though, I knew it was true, and I had no idea what I would do with a mate. Yes, I was lonely, but he was human. What would I do with him? We couldn't hunt together or anything like that. Humans were so fragile. One wrong move and I would break him.

"Where is he?" I asked Esme as kindly as I could, and her smile never faltered.

"Office, waiting on you, dear," she answered.

Moving at vampire speed, I raced up the stairs and stopped in front of the study door.

"Come in, son," Carlisle said, and I went in quickly, making sure to close the door behind me. He was sitting at his desk, looking calm, as he always did, and for some reason, it was annoying. Here I was a jumbled mess and he was cool and relaxed even.

I settled for pacing back and forth in front of his desk, too wired to sit.

"Tell me what happened, Jasper," Carlisle said with a smile.

"Everybody in school had been talking about the new kids all day, but I hadn't seen them," I began. "Honestly, I didn't care about them. At lunch, I saw them but their backs were turned, and I ignored all the bullshit people were saying about them. It was getting old.

"But then, in Biology, the new boy walked in, and Mr. Molina assigned him to the seat next to me. He turned around and looked at me, and our eyes met."

I couldn't help the small smile that crept onto my face as I remembered my mate's bright green eyes, creamy skin, and scent. Not even mention the need to make him mine.

"Then?" Carlisle prompted, and I felt embarrassed. Dammit, I needed to focus.

"While we were looking at each other, it felt like time stopped. Then, the fan blew his scent towards me. It was so rich, so pure...fuck, I can't describe it."

Nodding in understanding, Carlisle asked, "Did you want to feed from him?"

"No!" I snapped, as rage filled me at the thought of anyone feeding from him. Shaking my head to clear it, I said quietly, "No, I didn't. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"It's okay, son. You're conflicted at the moment. Go on."

"I didn't want to feed from him. I wanted to take him, claim him, mark him as mine. To make everyone know who he belonged with and he was off limits. The need was so strong, I don't know how I made it through the whole class. As soon as the bell rang, I ran out and tried to find you."

Out of steam from my retelling of what had happened, I dropped into one of the chairs in front of his desk and put my head in my hands. "I probably scared the shit out of him, the way I was acting in class, trying not to take him. Now what am I going to do?"

"If he were a vampire, it would be easier, Jasper," Carlisle explained. "But, because your mate happens to be a human, you're going to have to control yourself until you get to know him."

I looked up at him quickly with wide eyes. "Carlisle, how in the hell am I supposed to get to know him if every time we look at each other, I want to grab him and-"

"I know, son," he cut me off. It was probably a good thing he did, because the next words out of my mouth would have been 'fuck him' and I didn't think my 'father', for all intents and purposes, would appreciate me saying that.

"Vampires mating with humans is a rarity, but it does happen," Carlisle explained. "You can curb your...need. It won't be easy for you, but you can do it. When you have it under control, you will have to get to know the boy. Then, eventually, when the time is right, you'll have to explain to him about mates and let him know he is yours."

"Do you think he felt something when we stared at each other?" I asked meekly.

"He probably was wondering why your eyes are black," Carlisle chuckled.

"My eyes are...?" I asked, touching my face.

"Yes, son, and they will probably remain that way until you have yourself under control."

"What should I do? I know I can't go back to school like this. If I do, I won't be able to be responsible."

"I know," Carlisle answered. "I think you should go to Alaska and spend some time there. Eleazar knows all too well what it's like to mate with a human, and he should be able to help you."

My eyes widened once again. "You mean Carmen was..."

"She was," Carlisle smiled, and I mirrored it. Maybe there was hope after all.

"Alright, I'll go," I told Carlisle, and we both stood. He walked around his desk and offered his hand to me. I took it and he pulled me into a brief hug.

"I know you can do this, Jasper. Everything is going to work out fine between you and your mate. We will all miss you while you're away; please take care of yourself."

"I will," I smiled, and left the office to pack a light bag.

As I was headed out to the garage to get in my old red truck, Esme stopped me by pulling me into a hug.

"I'm so happy you've found your mate, son," she whispered in my ear then let me go, smiling.

"Thank you, Esme," I mumbled, a little embarrassed by her motherly affection. The look on her face let me know that if she could cry, she would be right then.

"Be safe, and come back to us soon."

"I will," I smiled, then got in my truck, throwing my bag onto the seat next to me. Hopefully, maybe, in a few months, my mate, Edward Masen, would be sitting in that space and I wouldn't feel so alone.

**Well, I hope y'all liked it! Please let me know!**

**Penny**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey y'all! Here we are again, in my twisted rendition of Twilight. :) This is incredibly fun to write, and I hope it's just as fun for you to read! **

**Thanks a ton to my prereader, Delphius Fanfic, and my beta, Layne Faire. They are awesome girls :)**

**I do not own anything Twilight. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Enjoy!**

**EPOV**

First days at new schools suck. I'd never transferred before, and I found out right away that the people here at Forks High were like vultures! They wanted to know your entire life story. It made me feel like I was on trial or something. My twin sister, Bella, loved the attention. She answered everyone's questions tirelessly, and when I decided to go silent halfway through lunch, she answered for me. I was getting annoyed so I took a book out of my bag and buried my face in it, hoping people would get the hint.

When the bell rang to end lunch, I told Bella bye and headed to my next class, Biology with Mr. Molina. I walked in and went to the teachers desk, just like in every other class, to get my book. He told me to sit at the one table in the lab that had room, next to someone called Jasper Cullen, and I turned to see where he was pointing. Sitting at that table was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. He had curly blond hair down to his chin, and it was tucked behind his ears. He was very pale, from either the weather, or the lighting, I couldn't tell. Hell, it didn't matter. His lips were a deep pink and his eyes were so dark, I thought they might have been black.

_Black eyes? Could be contacts,_ I supposed. They were pretty popular recently.

I took my book from Mr. Molina, and went to sit down. As I slid onto my stool, I noticed that the guy at the table had moved as far away as he could get without sitting in the aisle between tables. What the fuck was up with that? Did I smell or something?

All throughout class, I tried my best to ignore the way the guy next to me was acting, but it was kinda hard to. I was new; what could I have possibly done to make him hate me? Surely, I wasn't that awful to sit with. Every so often, I found myself glancing over at him. He was strange, but kind of mesmerizing. I was afraid to say anything to him, though. My heart was pounding in my chest; the way he was holding on to the sides of the desk had me scared shitless. The more nervous I got, the tighter he held on. Being completely honest, I was tense as hell, just waiting for him to go off and start swinging or something.

When the bell rang, the guy moved so fast getting out the door, I barely registered him leaving. Confused, I packed my backpack and stood up. As far as I knew, I didn't do anything to piss the pale kid off. Tyler, a boy I met at lunch, walked up and tapped me on the arm.

"Hey man, what did you do to Cullen?"

"Huh?" was my elegant reply.

"I've never seen him act like that before," Tyler shrugged as we left the classroom.

"I didn't do anything to him," I told Tyler. "It was weird, sitting next to him with the way he was acting. I wanted to ask him what his problem was, but I was too freaked out. Maybe, if he doesn't act like he wants to kill me tomorrow, I will."

"Your funeral, man," Tyler said, and walked off to his next class.

I stared after him, wondering what the hell he meant.

It was hard for me to concentrate on my classes for the rest of the day. I couldn't get that guy from Biology, Jasper Cullen, out of my head. Thinking about what I could have done to make him mad was giving me a headache.

Bella kept questioning me on the ride home from school: How did I like the people? How did I like the classes? Did I have a lot of homework? I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling her to shut up. It wasn't her fault I was in a bad mood.

When we got home, I went straight to my room and closed the door. Throwing my backpack on the floor next to my desk, I flopped down on my bed. It had been a long day, and before too long, my eyes were closing.

_Black eyes in a swirl of a light, blue gray mist. Pale hands, gripping the black top of the lab table. Eerie silence, banging in my head. I could hear my pounding heartbeat. Why was I afraid? I didn't have a reason to be afraid, did I? The light colored haze swirled darker and darker, until it was black, taking those strange eyes with it. I held my breath, waiting for the light to come back, and when it did, it was in the form of red glowing orbs, right where the black eyes once were. _

Sitting upright in bed, I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my mind of that weird damn dream. I looked over at my clock on my bedside table and saw it had only been ten minutes since I had fallen asleep. What the fuck?

I shook my head and wandered down to the kitchen, searching for food. Bella was there, leaning against the counter, talking on her phone. Ignoring her, I went to the fridge and pulled out a soda.

"Hey, Edward?" Bella called, and I closed the fridge before turning around to face her.

"Did you see the weird kids at school today?" She asked, and I fought the urge to scoff.

"What weird kids?" I asked, popping the top on my soda and taking a long drink.

"The pale ones that always stay in a group and don't talk to anyone. The Cullens."

"Yeah, I saw them," I answered flippantly. I wasn't quite ready to share my experience in Biology just yet. Not until I understood it, at least. "Why?"

"Just wondering," she said. "I think I might try to make friends with them."

"Okay, then. Have fun with that," I said and headed back up to my room to start my homework.

The next day at school was a little better. There wasn't as much fuss being made over me and Bella, and for that, I was glad. At lunch, I noticed all the Cullens were there, except Jasper. I had been worried about going in Biology, afraid of what Jasper's reaction would be to me today. As soon as I noticed he wasn't at school, I relaxed and was able to eat my lunch in peace.

Biology class went a lot better than it did the day before, without Jasper there, and when class was over, Tyler accosted me again.

"What happened?" he asked, lightly punching my arm. It made me want to knock him down.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I told him while slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Jasper isn't here," Tyler said. "Did you run him off?"

Pissed, I said, "I don't know why he isn't here, and I really don't give a fuck. I don't keep tabs on him." I walked out of the room, leaving Tyler standing there with his mouth open.

After school, Bella had obviously decided to put her plan to befriend the Cullens into action. She left me waiting by the car while she walked over to the Cullens Jeep, with the pretense of asking one of them for a homework assignment.

I shook my head, partly in awe of her nerve, and also because I was ready to go home. Giving up on waiting, I got in the car and turned it on, blasting the heater on high so I could try to warm my frozen hands. By the time the heater had warmed, the passenger side door opened and Bella got in.

"Well, they were nice," she said airily while fastening her seatbelt.

Pretending to be disinterested, I asked, "Yeah?"

Bella nodded. "And they all are pretty. I'd like to know what kind of stuff they use for their skin. It is flawless!"

"Well," I asked as I backed out of the space and started to leave the school lot, "did you get the homework?"

"Oh, yeah, I got it, but I had it already anyway," Bella waved me off. "I really just wanted to ask them where Jasper was."

I glanced at her. "And?"

"He's visiting family."

I didn't answer her, but my mind was going a million miles an hour. That seemed strange. Jasper went to visit extended family without his brother and sisters? still don't find it strange lol

Dad was home when me and Bella got there, and I dropped my backpack and coat in the entryway, heading straight over to the roaring fireplace to get warm. A chuckle startled me, and I looked away from the fire. Dad was sitting in his chair with the newspaper spread out on his lap.

"Got cold, didn't it?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah," I replied.

"You adjusting to school alright?"

I could sense that Dad was in the mood for a heart to heart and I groaned internally. Why did he want to do this now?

"It's fine, why?" I asked, curious.

"Just wondering," he replied, then paused. "Will you go up to your room with me? Your mom brought something to my attention this afternoon and I would like to talk about it with you."

Suddenly, I felt overheated. What the hell did Mom tell Dad to make him act so serious?

"Yeah, I guess..."

Dad folded his paper, set it aside, then stood. He clapped me on the back and smiled. "Don't look so scared, Edward. You're not in trouble."

I followed him upstairs and to my room. He opened my door and ushered me in. For some reason, I felt like I was heading to my doom. Dad sat on my bed and motioned for me to close the door. After doing so, I stood in front of him, pacing nervously.

"So...uh...what did you want to talk about?" I asked, wanting him to get to the point and get it over with.

"Well, your Mom came in here today, to empty your hamper, and she found some...material...that confused her."

_Oh, fuck._ As soon as Dad said hamper, I knew what she had found. I had stuck a men's magazine down in my hamper just this morning, before school, when Bella walked into my room without knocking. My face got hot. I knew it looked as red as a Santa hat.

"Uh...I...well..." I stammered, and Dad smiled kindly at me.

"Come sit, Edward, and calm down. It's okay."

I searched Dad's face to see if I could see any disgust or anger. The only emotion I could see was understanding, and his light brown eyes held a smile. Slowly, I walked over to sit beside him. He regarded me with a smile.

"There something you want to tell me?"

Lowering my head, I mumbled, "Do I have to? You know already."

"Yes, I do, but I think it's better if you tell me properly, just to make sure there's no confusion."

Glancing back up at him, I asked, "How did Mom react, you know, when she found it?"

Dad surprised me by chuckling. "I had to tell her it belonged to you, and if she wanted to read it, she could go buy one."

"Oh, God..." I groaned, dropping my head in my hands.

Laughing, Dad put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed lightly. I looked up at him, still embarrassed as hell, but decided to just get it over with, like ripping off a band-aid.

"Okay, fine. I like boys, Dad, not girls. There, I said it."

Dad just smiled at me and squeezed my shoulder again. "Your mom and me, we're okay with it, you know."

My eyes widened slightly. "You are? Both of you?"

"Of course, Edward. You are our son, and it doesn't matter to us whether you like boys or girls, so long as you're happy."

Relief flooded through my body, and I slumped my shoulders, letting the tension go. I had been so afraid for them to find out. But now, in a few short minutes, it was done and over with, and they accepted me for who I was. I loved them so much for that. Although, I was still a bit embarrassed about _how_ they found out.

Suddenly, the whole situation was extremely funny, and I burst out laughing. Dad looked at me like I had grown two heads, and it made me laugh harder.

"Mom..." I gasped out, "...reading..." I was positively guffawing now, doubled over, and Dad caught me by the arm before I fell off the bed. He pulled me into his arms for a hug and I hugged him back, hard. He held me until I calmed down a bit, then let me go. We were both grinning like hell at one another.

"Thank you," I said quietly, and he hugged me again, briefly.

"You don't have to thank me, Edward. I love you."

"Love you too."

Dad stood and patted me on the back. "Come on, let's go have dinner."

I nodded at him, and we walked down to the dining room. Mom and Bella were setting the table and me and Dad exchanged a look. I couldn't help the laughter that escaped, and as soon as I started again, Dad joined in. Mom and Bella peered at us like we were nuts, then Mom's eyes widened.

"Edward Masen Senior, you didn't!" She exclaimed and Dad nodded at her with a big smile.

Bella looked so confused. "Wait. What did I miss? What's so funny?"

We all took a minute to compose ourselves, then Dad said, "Bella, your Mom found something of Edward's she didn't want to give back."

"Ooh," Bella grinned. "Was it weed? Liquor?"

As we all took our places at the table, Dad said, "No, it was one of his men's magazines."

Bella's head whipped around to look at Mom. "You wanted to read Edward's _Playboy_?" she asked, incredulous, and Dad roared with laughter.

"Oh my God, stop it!" I yelled, embarrassed. "Bella, Mom found a magazine in my room and showed it to Dad. It was a men's fitness book and that outed me, okay?"

I didn't think it was possible, but Bella's eyes got wider. "You're gay?" she almost screamed.

"Yes...duh..." I rolled my eyes, and her mouth dropped open before a sudden smile spread across her face.

"What?" I asked her as Dad put some of Mom's homemade lasagna on my plate.

"Jessica's gonna be so _mad_!" She exclaimed, and burst into laughter.

Again, I rolled my eyes at her then paid attention to my food. I was starving all of a sudden.

/\o0O0o/\

The next day at school was interesting, to say the least. I had no choice but to come out in front of the whole damn school that morning, when Jessica said something to Bella and she whispered in Jessica's ear.

"YOUR BROTHER'S GAY?" Jessica yelled across the lunchroom, and I cringed.

Every eye in the room was on me and Bella then, even the elusive Cullens. The big one, Emmett, and the blond one, Rosalie, looked angry, but the small one, Alice, was grinning like hell. What the fuck?

After the initial silence, the room erupted in chatter again, and I knew by the glances that kept coming my way that it was about whether what Jessica said was true. _Oh well,_ I decided. If anyone asked, I would tell the truth. I had nothing to hide.

However, by the time the day was half over, I was so tired of all the whispering and gossiping that I started every class by just admitting it. I swear, I had never seen a school so fucking intent on knowing everything about everyone.

The rest of the week went by pretty uneventful, though, and I was glad. When it was time to go home on Friday, I was so relieved it wasn't funny. It had been a day of rare sunshine, and none of the Cullens were at school that day. The other students were in good moods, because of the nice day, and we even got to have lunch in the courtyard.

A bunch of kids stayed after school, to go out somewhere together, including Bella, so I drove home alone. After the stress of the week, I was glad for the solitude. When I got home, Mom and Dad weren't home yet, so I had something to eat then went up to my room.

I dropped my backpack next to my desk, happy to be able to forget about it until Monday, then sat in my desk chair and opened the bottom drawer. There was a stack of magazines in there, ranging from men's underwear catalogues to fitness books like Mom had found. I rifled through them, looking to see if any interested me, but none did.

After closing the drawer, I glanced at my laptop sitting on the desk. I was home alone, so maybe a little porn surfing would help to relax me. I opened my laptop, then went to lock my bedroom door while I waited for it to power up. As soon as it was ready, I went to my favorite site and started to browse.

A video of two dark haired twinks caught my eye and I clicked on it. It started with them naked, laying on each other and kissing. When the one on top grabbed the other's dick, my breathing sped up. The boy whose dick was being stoked arched his back, and his partner sucked on his nipples.

I paused the video long enough to free my aching cock from my jeans and gave it a long stroke, sighing at how good it felt, then skipped the video ahead a bit. The guy with the longer hair was licking the other's balls while teasing his hole with his fingers. Short haired boy was trying to fuck the other boy's fingers, and the noises they were making were fucking sinful.

A spike of lust shot through my stomach while I watched those two pretty boys play, and I worked my cock faster. Suddenly, a loud bang startled me, and I quickly exited out of the website then closed my laptop. Standing, I hurriedly stuffed my cock back into my jeans, wincing at the pain.

When I unlocked my door, I opened it a crack and heard two female voices coming up the stairs. One was Bella, I was sure, but I couldn't recognize the other. Who the hell did she have with her?

As soon as I saw the light brown hair next to Bella's reddish brown, I knew who it was, and I rolled my eyes. Great. Jessica. Why the fuck did Bella have to bring _her_ home? Sighing, I went back into my room and closed the door. It was gonna be a long weekend.

**I hope y'all liked EPOV! Please, let me know your thoughts! Jasper is next :)**

**Penny**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey y'all! Here we are again, with Jasper this time. I hope y'all like it. **

**Many thanks to my prereader, Delphius Fanfic, and my beta, Layne Faire. They rock.**

**I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Enjoy!**

**JPOV**

As I stood on the top of the mountain, I took unnecessary lungfuls of the frigid air. I needed to get back home. Back to my mate. Over the past week, I had learned a lot about mates from Eleazar. I was awed at the stories he told about finding Carmen. When he first found her, he had reacted the same way as I did, and that was comforting to know.

Eleazar stressed that the main point I needed to work on was patience. He told me that sometimes the need to claim Edward would be so strong that I would have to keep my wits about me and be able to step back until the worst of the feeling passed.

It would be difficult, he said, but worth it and I would feel like the happiest vampire on the planet. Somehow, I doubted that. I knew I had a long way to go in getting to know Edward and that it would take time for everything to be as it should, but I had infinite time.

I continued to stand on top of the mountain until the last rays of the sun were almost completely gone, then I went back to Eleazar's house. I packed my things and thanked them for their help in gaining control of my most basic instinct. Then, with well wishes and promises of keeping in touch, I headed home. It was time to begin my mate's courtship.

/\o0O0o/\

"Welcome home, Jasper. We missed you," Esme said as she met me on the front lawn. "Alice said you'd be returning today; we just didn't know when."

I gave her a smile and we walked into the house to see the rest of the family. Rosalie looked pissed, sending me glares every so often before heading up the stairs. The rest were happy to see me, however, and Carlisle was pleased to see that my eyes were once again topaz, evidence of my control.

"I take it everything went well," Carlisle smiled, and I nodded.

"He taught me control techniques and how to meditate to keep myself balanced. The hardest thing to work on will be my patience. Just being back here, knowing Edward is in the same town, it's making me ache to go to him."

"I know," Carlisle said with a sympathetic look. "Patience."

"Yeah."

/\o0O0o/\

As we walked into the school the next morning, I was flanked by Emmett, who promised to restrain me if I lost control, and Alice, who was trying to comfort me and said she would let me know immediately if she had any kind of vision.

The morning passed smoothly enough. I caught a glimpse of Edward at his locker, and he looked breathtaking. He was wearing dark blue jeans and an open white shirt over a black v neck tee. Fuck, how I wanted him. Alice and Emmett tightened their hold on my arms, but I shook my head minutely. "I'm okay."

During lunch, Emmett and Alice whispered about their worries over me in Biology, where they wouldn't be there to keep watch. I ignored them, opting to watch my mate as he chatted with his sister and friends while they ate. What Emmett and Alice didn't know was that I had been practicing my meditation exercises during my morning classes. I was fairly confident I'd be alright during Biology. Besides, as Eleazar told me, I had to try.

Rose kept making clucking noises of disgust with her tongue, but I ignored her. It would not be good for me to go off on her and lose my zen-like state.

When the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch, Emmett and Alice threw me worried glances.

"Don't worry," I tried to placate them. "I am under control, and confident that I can handle it."

They didn't reply, and I rolled my eyes at them before heading to Biology.

Edward wasn't there yet, so I sat down and prepared myself for his arrival. It wasn't long until he stepped through the door and I was surrounded by his delicious scent. He timidly walked to our table and sat down, then took out his pen and book from his backpack, and laid them on the desk. I couldn't take my eyes away from him: the way he held his pen in his long fingers, tapping it on his notebook. His muscles in his forearm flexing as he turned the pages in his book. I craved to run my fingertips over those muscles. Mr. Molina was talking, but the vision beside me held my complete attention. His skin looked so soft, I wanted so much to feel it against mine. I could hear his heartbeat, could see the vein pulsing in his neck, and I had to look away before I lost my resolve and leaned in so I could feel it with my lips. Fuck.

Today, we had to do a partnered assignment, and I found myself pleased. I would be able to begin to get to know Edward. As soon as Mr. Molina gave the class the go ahead to begin, I saw Edward glance at me nervously, like he was afraid to move or speak to me. His heart had sped up a bit, and I was saddened. I didn't want him to fear me; I wanted his heart to race because of good things, like my kissing and gentle touches. Oh yes, I would be so gentle with my fragile mate.

"Hello," I said gently.

He looked shocked for a moment, then smiled nervously. "Um...hey."

"I'm Jasper Cullen," I continued while laying a slide on the microscope in front of me.

"Edward Masen," he replied, watching as I peered into the eyepiece of the scope then wrote the answer on the paper.

Sliding the microscope over to him so he could change the slide, I was bathing in the sweetness of his smooth tenor voice. "Nice to meet you."

Suddenly, he frowned as he wrote on our paper, then surprised me by turning stormy green eyes to mine. I never expected to hear the words that came out of his mouth next.

"What did I do to piss you off so much last week?"

I stared at him for a moment, and his innocent, questioning gaze was nearly my undoing. I wanted to pull him into my arms and tell him I meant no harm and I had only feared for his safety. His boldness to ask me such a question both startled and pleased me. It seemed my mate had a backbone, and I liked it.

Instead, I pulled the instrument back to me and changed the slide. Keeping my eyes trained on my task, I replied, "You didn't do anything. I had...some things I was dealing with. I'm sorry if I scared you or made you uncomfortable."

"Oh," he said, watching me curiously. "Well, you could have fooled me. You looked like you wanted to murder me. Obviously, you don't act way toward other people, because others in the class noticed your anger, too."

Hearing him say that made my heart ache. I wanted so much to explain the real reason why I acted like I did, but I couldn't, at least, not yet. Instead of dwelling on it, I decided to try to move forward.

"Look. I want to try to get to know you and be friends," I told him, suddenly feeling like if I didn't say that just then, he would pull away from me.

He looked thoughtful. "But...you and your brother and sisters, you're not friends with anyone."

Chuckling softly at his observation, I answered, "Yes, we usually keep to ourselves, but I'd still like to try."

He regarded me coolly for a few seconds, then said, "Fine then, but I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"What happened to your eyes?"

My hands stilled on the microscope for a fraction of a second, and I hoped he didn't notice. He was more perceptive than I imagined him to be. Then again, he wasn't the average human, either. Well, not to me, at least. In a way, deep down, I was pleased he noticed.

"Must be the lights," I lied smoothly, glancing back at him. He was looking curiously at me, but eventually nodded, accepting my answer.

"Could be," he mused. "I thought it may have been contacts."

Silently, I cursed myself for not thinking of that answer. It would been so much simpler if I had said that. It was too late now, and I shook my head at myself. His scent and close proximity must be addling my head.

There was a slight uncomfortable silence as we finished up. Mr. Molina came to see how we did and, of course, our work was perfect. Edward was intelligent, just as I thought he would be.

With only a little time left in the class, I decided to try again to make conversation. "Do you play any sports?" I asked quietly.

Edward smiled, showing me his perfect teeth, and once again, desire swept throughout my body at his beauty. He had no idea how hard it really was for me to sit and make polite conversation with him.

"I ran track at my other school for a while, but I decided it wasn't really for me. Instead, I took up piano lessons," he replied, a light pink blush staining the apples of his cheeks. It made venom pool in my mouth and I had to swallow hard.

"Do you like playing the piano?"

Edward's smile and blush grew. Jesus, he was going to kill me where I sat.

"I do," he admitted softly. "People think I am a nerd for playing, but I find it...freeing."

So, my mate has a soft side as well. With every word he uttered, I wanted him more and more. I wished I could take him home, explain about myself, and have him understand and accept me. All of that would have to come with time, though, and I really hoped it wouldn't take too much. Now that I had found him, the need to claim him was so very strong sometimes.

The bell to end class rang and Edward gathered his things and told me he would see me the next day. I watched him leave, his scent still lingering around me, and hoped I could see him again before then. At least we were able to have a conversation without me doing anything embarrassing. That was a start.

**~0O0~**

My family and I stood by Emmett's Jeep after school. I convinced them to wait there so i could say goodbye to Edward. As the lot emptied, I began to wonder what was taking him so long. Usually, he wasn't this late.

Rosalie had started complaining to Emmett about wanting to leave, but Emmett shushed her. Smart man. She was already getting on my last nerve with her bullshit. Alice was giving me advice on how to stay in control around Edward. Obviously, the fact that I had had a conversation in Biology with him and managed to restrain from fucking him on the lab table had escaped her.

Thunder cracked overhead, and I looked up into the ominous clouds. The storm Carlisle had told us about had arrived. Emmett started talking about baseball, but I wasn't interested. Just after the rumble of thunder died away, Edward walked out of the building. The way he had his jacket pulled up almost over his head prevented him from seeing us, so our time spent waiting was wasted.

Dejectedly, I turned to get in the Jeep and a loud crack broke the silence. I looked up just in time to see a limb high in the tree behind Edward's car get hit by lightning. It hung there for a moment, but Edward hadn't gotten into his car yet. He was still unlocking the door.

I moved just before the limb broke free and fell. In a flash, I had Edward pushed out of the way and the limb in my hands. When Edward landed on the pavement about four feet away from me, I heard a cracking sound as the back of his head hit the pavement.

He looked at me, dazed, and I quickly threw the limb into the woods, then rushed to his side. I knelt next to him and studied his pale face.

"Edward, are you alright?" I asked, unable to hide the concern I felt for him.

"Jasper? Ow..."

"Lay still. My family and I will take you to the hospital," I instructed Edward, even going as far as to push his shoulder back down onto the pavement as he tried to sit up.

The Jeep rolled to a stop beside us and Emmett leaned out the window. "Everything okay, Jasper?" he asked.

"He needs to go to the hospital," I murmured. "Open the back door."

Rosalie huffed from inside the front seat and I barely contained a warning growl. My mate was hurt and, no matter that he didn't know he was my mate yet, he was my responsibility.

I ignored Edward's protests and I lifted him into my arms and carried him to the Jeep. The only thing I could concentrate on was his weight in my arms and his scent surrounding me, making me feel high. I vaguely thought to myself that it was good that he wasn't bleeding. If he was, I knew Emmett would have had to restrain me. As it was, having him this close was difficult.

Alice opened the back door and I set Edward carefully next to her. She smiled a cheeky grin at me and I rolled my eyes before sliding into the Jeep next to Edward. Emmett drove off and I kept my eyes on Edward's face. He was drifting in and out of consciousness, and I knew he must have a concussion.

"God, he stinks," Rosalie said rudely.

"Stop it," Emmett warned her just before I could open my mouth to say something.

"I can't help it, Emmett. If I could vomit, I would be."

Against my permission, a growl ripped its way from my chest and she glared at me.

"Oh, please, Jasper," she said.

"Shut. Up." I warned and Alice laid her small hand on my arm.

"Don't worry about her," she told me quietly. "Focus on Edward."

Alice was right, and for the rest of the ride, I did just that. When we got to the hospital, I carried Edward inside and ignored the nurses as I tried to find Carlisle. He was the only one I trusted to take care of my mate.

I found him in an examination room, talking to some woman about smoking. Edward was fidgeting in my arms, telling me to put him down and asking me what was going on. Carlisle took one glance at me and excused himself from the room. He led me to a private exam room and i laid Edward carefully on the bed. Immediately, Carlisle started looking him over.

"I take it this is Edward?" he asked.

"Yes. Please tell me he's alright, Carlisle."

Carlisle ignored me. "Edward? Can you tell me what happened, son?"

"Hit my head..." Edward mumbled, and I felt a pang of guilt. It was my fault he had hit his head so hard on the pavement, but if I hadn't pushed him, that limb would have done more damage.

"Lightning struck a tree near Edward and i pushed him out of the way so it wouldn't fall on him," I rambled, feeling awful. "It's my fault he hit his head."

Carlisle looked at me with a knowing half smile. "It was lucky you pushed him," he said, and Edward nodded, then held his head in his hands. His pain made me angry at myself.

"Did he faint at any time?" he asked, looking into Edward's eyes with his pen light.

"He drifted in and out of consciousness all the way here," I answered meekly.

"Alright. I think we'll keep him here for a couple of hours to see how it goes. Just make yourself comfortable, Edward, and I will be back," Carlisle said, patted Edward on the leg, and ushered me out the door.

He stopped me before I could walk away. "Go feed, son," he said lowly. "Your eyes are black. We'll talk when you get back."

Surprised, I nodded and hurried out of the hospital.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey y'all! I am kind of excited about this chapter, and I hope you are too! :D**

**Many thanks to my prereader, Delphius Fanfic, and my beta, Corey. They rock.**

**I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Enjoy!**

**JPOV**

"Go away, Alice," I growled.

"Nope," she said happily, which only infuriated me further. "You are doing this for no reason, Jasper. Edward isn't going to be upset with you."

Swiftly, I turned to face her. "It doesn't matter. He _should_ be upset with me. He should be _livid! _If he only knew..."

"But he doesn't. You're going to have to tell him soon."

"I know," I sighed, feeling some of my anger ebb away.

She put her hands on her hips. "Well, what are you going to do now?"

I looked down at my blood splattered clothes. "I'm going to clean up, then go back to the hospital."

"Damn right you are," Alice grinned. "See you there."

Without saying goodbye, I ran home as fast as I could, showered, and raced to the hospital. Emmett drove me, flying like a bat out of hell.

After Emmett parked, I got out of the Jeep and he stopped me. "You sure you don't want me to tag along? You know, just in case?"

"I'll be fine," I smiled. "Thank you, Em."

"No problem," he replied, then sped away.

I took my time walking back to Edward's room, thinking of how I would word my apology. When I reached the room, I knocked gently before entering. Edward was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding ice on the back of his head and drinking from a can of soda. Guilt flooded me.

Slowly, I walked over to where he sat. Carlisle stepped away, but stayed close enough in case I needed him.

"Edward...I'm sorry," I said softly. He looked at me.

"What? Why? You saved my life," he replied.

"I hurt you."

Edward scoffed. "If you hadn't pushed me out of the way, I would have been hurt worse. Thank you, Jasper."

"Are you still hurting?" I asked, and Edward watched as I tentatively raised my hand toward him, then caught myself and pulled it back. If I'm not mistaken, I saw a hint of disappointment in his eyes. The thought warmed me and gave a small bit of hope that my mate would forgive me.

I reached out again, and Edward removed the ice so I could touch him. Fuck, his hair was so soft, even being wet and cold from the ice. I had to fight the urge to thread my fingers through it and to lean down and inhale its scent. Jesus. The monster in my chest was sated, for the moment.

Carlisle joined me at Edward's side, and I reluctantly moved my hand. "He has a bump there, alright," I said, trying to disguise any emotion other than friendship that might be read in my expression.

"If he can stay awake and keep down the soda he's drinking, I'll let him go home in a couple of hours," Carlisle said with a smile. Edward looked happy at that.

"If it's alright with Edward, I'd like to stay and keep him company," I stated, glancing into Carlisle's eyes for his assent.

"Of course. Maybe you should call Emmett and invite him too. The three of you can get to know each other more," Carlisle suggested, and I knew what he was trying to say. He had other patients and I should be watched. He was probably right.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and it opened to reveal Emmett. "Hey guys!"

_Alice. _She told him I would need him here. Bless her.

"Well, speak of the devil," Carlisle said exuberantly, patting Emmett on the shoulder. "Great timing, son. If you'll excuse me, I have to see other patients, but I will be back in a couple of hours."

He left the room and Emmett pulled up a chair, sitting and getting comfortable. I chose to stand.

"Hey, Edward. I'm Emmett," my brother said, holding out his hand for Edward to shake. I opened my mouth to remind Emmett of our cold skin, but it was too late. Edward had grasped it and was shaking it firmly. When he let go, he looked at his own hand.

"Wow, your hands are cold," he chuckled, and Emmett grinned.

"Cold natured," he said without batting an eye. "It doesn't help that it's cold outside, too."

Edward nodded and placed the ice back on his head. I was immediately on alert. Was he hurting too badly? Did he need anything?

"You doing okay, man?" Em asked for me.

"Fine," Edward said. "Just a little tired. All the excitement, I guess."

"Could be," Emmett agreed. "So, tell us about yourself, Edward."

I hung on every word that left my mate's mouth. He told us how he came to be in Forks, about his family, and things he liked to do. The more he talked, the more enamored I became. I found myself wanting to meet his parents and sister, and wanting him to come to the house and meet mine. Was that wrong, given the fact that he didn't know anything about me? Yet.

Patience, Jasper. That's what Carlisle told me, but it was so fucking hard.

"Jasper, I have a question," Edward said, fixing his eyes on me. I gave him my full attention.

"In the lot, when the lightning hit that tree, I saw you throw that limb. It was a big one, too. How did you do that?"

I said the first word that came to mind. "Adrenaline."

"Hey, Edward, do you want to come over tomorrow after school?" Emmett asked, and I had to make sure Edward didn't see the surprise on my face. What the fuck was he doing?

"Oh. I...well..." My mate stammered.

"Just to maybe play video games or something," Emmett said. "Might be fun, and you could follow us there after school."

"I...guess I could," Edward answered, and Emmett smiled widely at him.

"Great!"

Oh, Emmett. I was going to murder him.

**/\o0O0o/\**

The next day, at lunch, I hadn't yet gained the courage to ask Edward to sit with us at our table, but I should have. Why Alice didn't tell me she saw this, I have no idea. Then again, her visions were subjective. They could change.

Edward was sitting at his customary table with a couple of friends. They were Jacob, a russet skinned boy from the nearby Quileute Reservation, Riley, a decent guy in my History class, and Ben, a rather intelligent 'nerdy' type. They were talking and laughing, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach near the reservation.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another boy, Eric, approach their table, and Edward's shoulders tensed noticeably. Obviously, he made my mate uncomfortable, and I growled softly.

"What's the matter, Jasper?" Emmett asked, looking concerned. When I looked at him, his amber eyes widened. "Dude, be careful. Your eyes are getting dark."

"That...kid...is bothering myEdward," I hissed through my teeth, and all of my siblings glanced toward their table.

I looked again at the group of boys with my mate, and Ben was trying to make an excuse for not inviting Eric to the beach. With my vampire hearing, their conversation was clear.

Pouting, Eric sat in the chair next to Edward and scooted it close. Too close. He leaned in towards Edward's ear and spoke quietly. The monster inside my chest roared and I tensed, ready to pounce. A long low warning growl ripped its way from my throat. I didn't notice that I had slipped and the people at the next table heard it. They gasped and looked in my direction.

Emmett's strong grip on my upper arm made me shake my head. "No, Emmett. Don't."

"Calm the fuck down, man," he warned. "You can't do this here."

Never taking my eyes from the vermin sitting next to my mate, talking animatedly about God only knew what, I rumbled, "Emmett...that boy..."

"Shh, calm down, Jasper," Alice added, putting her hand on my forearm. I shook them both off.

"_Stop."_

Rage was growing inside me, red hot and wild. It was blinding. All I could focus on was that vile worm Eric as his hand wandered closer and closer to _my_ Edward's arm. My mate kept trying to inch away without being obviously rude, but the kid kept on.

I was growling steadily, sitting on the edge of my chair. Eric was oblivious that he was so close to death. My hands were itching to feel his bones crush within them. I wanted to rip his throat out for touching what was mine.

Behind me, I heard Rose and Emmett arguing in quiet hisses and whispers, but I couldn't be bothered with them.

Then it happened. Fingers closed around my mate's arm and my control snapped. I bolted up from my chair so fast, it fell over, causing the whole room to stare in my direction. The fact that everyone in the cafeteria, including my mate, was focusing on me didn't make me think twice.

Remembering to keep my pace human, I managed to make it two steps toward Edward's table before a scream echoed through the room.

"You _bitch!_"

Rosalie.

Whipping my head around, I saw Rosalie standing up, towering over Alice, finger poking her chest. My head was so confused. The monster inside me was screaming to go over, take Edward, and drag him away from Eric, but I was also concerned about what was going on with my sisters.

Before I could do anything, Emmett took me by the arm and hauled me back to the table. He grabbed Rose's arm as well and started pulling us outside. Every inch that Emmett made me step away from Edward caused my anger to multiply more and more.

Once outside the cafeteria, I yanked my arm out of Emmett's grip and struggled to maintain the human facade as I strode toward the forest. "Come with me," I growled lowly, knowing they heard. Silently, we walked into the woods and once we out of sight of the school, I ran, not stopping until we were at least a mile away.

Once we were safely hidden in a small clearing, I was able to vent my anger on some nearby rocks and trees. That fucking _bastard!_ How _dare _Eric lay his hands on _my _other half? I wanted to turn around and go right back to the school so I could rip that boy apart, but I knew I couldn't. No matter my desires, the first priority of all of us was to keep our secret safe.

When I had finished my growling and raging, I looked warily to Alice for any news from the school.

"Nothing happened," she assured me. "Lunch is over and Edward's in class."

"That filth left Edward alone?" I wanted concrete proof.

"Yes. When we left, it caused an uproar, basically. People will be talking about it for days."

Nodding, I sat on a nearby rock.

"Are you in better control now?" Emmett asked, and I nodded.

"I'm sorry for my attitude, but I can't help it. Thanks for the help."

"Well, thank God for that," Rose snarked. "You do know what you almost did in there, don't you, Jasper?"

Her tone infuriated me again, and I was in her face like a flash, shaking with anger. "Shut the fuck up! You never had to go through this shit, Rosalie! When Emmett woke up as a vampire, you already were one and you could bond instantly! Do NOT chastise me over something you don't understand!"

"Don't scream at me, Jasper! You are the one insisting on endangering us!" She spat at me, and I growled.

"I can't fucking help it! You know I can't go without my mate, now that I have found him!"

Surprisingly, Emmett didn't interrupt. He knew I was right.

Backing away, I turned around and rested my hands on my hips. "Go away."

The three of them began to walk back the way we came, and I turned around.

"Alice. Stay, please, to keep me updated on what happens at school."

Nodding her assent, she moved to sit on the rock I had previously occupied. When Rose and Emmett were gone, Alice suggested we hunt, and I complied gladly.

She ended up making the hunt into some sort of game, seeing who could find the bigger animal, and by the time we were finished, I felt a lot better.

When Alice and I headed home, it was past time for the others to be home from school. As soon as we stepped in the yard, I stopped still.

"Jasper? What is it?" Alice asked, concerned.

"Edward's here," I answered, suddenly pissed that Emmett would bring him here after what had happened.

Alice inhaled deeply then nodded. "It's okay, Jasper. You fed, so it will be fine."

She urged me to walk with her to the house, and when we went in, I was surprised to see Edward and Emmett sitting on the living room rug, playing Xbox. They were really into their game, and Alice bounded over to them, plopping on her ass like she was Edward's best friend.

"Hi, Edward. I'm Alice," she chimed, and Edward smiled at her.

"Good to meet you," he replied, and Emmett's loud laughter rang through the room.

"Take that, Edward," he said loudly. "I just kicked your ass!"

"Yeah, whatever," my mate answered, pushing against Emmett's shoulder. "I was distracted."

Seeing Emmett and Edward so close, talking and laughing, sparked a fire deep inside me, and I could feel my rage building for the second time today. A low growl escaped my throat, and Emmett whipped his head around.

"Oh, hey Jasper!" He said happily, getting to his feet. "I'll let you show Edward around. I'm going to go do some homework."

Emmett took Alice by the arm and left me alone with Edward. It was the first time we had ever been alone. I watched him stand and walk over to me with a smile.

"Hey. So you're giving me the dime tour?" he asked.

"I guess so," I answered, and started leading him through the house.

Downstairs, I showed him the kitchen, dining room, and where the bathroom was. Then, I led him up the stairs, where he stopped to look at the eccentric artwork there. Of course, I had to lie to him where they came from, and I hated having to do that. I shouldn't keep secrets from him.

I pointed out Carlisle's office and the other bedrooms before stopping in front of the door at the end of the hall.

"This is my room," I told him softly, and pushed open the door. I studied Edward's face as he gazed around, and when he looked at me, I was prepared for the question he was going to ask.

"Um...Jasper. Why don't you have a bed?"

"Could everyone come up here, please?" I asked in my normal voice and, within seconds, the whole family was there with us. Edward looked at them in amazement.

"Hey Emmett? Want to tell me what's going on?" He was starting to look nervous.

"Come in and sit down," I said quietly to Edward, gesturing to the black leather couch that dominated the room, "Please." He did as I asked, slowly, wringing his hands together.

The family filed in behind me and took various places in the room. I sat on the opposite end of the couch from Edward.

"I don't have a bed because I don't sleep," I told him gently.

"What? You don't sleep? How is that possible?" His eyes darted around the room, from one family member to the other.

"We are incapable of sleep," Carlisle said, and Edward just looked more confused. None of us said anything while we let this information sink in.

Suddenly, after a couple of minutes, Edward blurted, "The limb at school. You threw it like it was nothing, and you also got to me very fast. What the hell are you people? Superheroes?"

"Not hardly," I snorted.

"Tell me, Edward," Carlisle said, "is there anything else you have noticed about us?"

I was happy that our 'father' was taking over the situation. Edward thought hard for a moment.

"Your eyes," he finally answered. "They change color. Sometimes they're black and other times they're a gold color."

"Yes," Carlisle smiled.

"When Emmett touched me in the hospital, his hand was cold. It wasn't weather cold, either. It was like ice."

"You're right," Esme said softly.

"What are you?" Edward whispered.

"We're vampires, dear," Esme told him, and his mouth hung open while his eyes went wide.

"Excuse me?" He asked, incredulous.

"Vampires," Carlisle repeated. "But don't worry. We don't eat humans."

"Wait," Edward said, shaking his head. "You're vampires. Like, 'I vant to suck your blood' vampires, but you don't eat people? What do you eat?"

"Animals," I answered, and his eyes shot to mine. "Deer, elk, moose, mountain lions, bears. Anything that roams the forest."

"So, you won't eat me?" Edward asked with a nervous laugh, and Emmett cracked up.

"Jasper might," he guffawed, and my mate looked absolutely terrified. I could have killed Emmett right then.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "You just said I was safe."

"You are," Carlisle insisted, giving Emmett a dirty look. "You see, Edward, we don't follow all the lore you hear about vampires. We don't burn in the sun, we don't sleep in coffins, or any of that. Along with the cold skin and strength and speed, there is one more thing we do."

"What is it?" Edward asked in a small voice.

"Every vampire has one true destined mate. It is the one sole person in the world who completes us," he continued, and I felt nervous and excited. This was it.

When Carlisle finished explaining, Edward asked, "And?"

Looking my mate directly in the eyes, I said softly, "You are mine, Edward."

***hides* Hope y'all enjoyed it! Please let me know, and I'll see ya next time!**

**Penny**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey y'all! After that awful cliffie I left you with, I had to go ahead and write this one :)**

**Thanks a million to Delphius Fanfic, my prereader, and Corey, my beta. They make my writing readable. Also thank you to S.M. Cullen for the marathon all nighter writing sessions.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Hope y'all enjoy!**

**EPOV**

I woke up to find six sets of amber eyes staring into mine. Immediately, I tried to sit up, but a cold, gentle hand pushed me back down. I was lying on the plush carpet of Jasper's bedroom floor, and my mind was running at ninety miles per hour.

"Edward, calm down," the motherly brunette said quietly. Esme, I think her name was.

Clearing my throat, I asked, "Is this a joke? A side effect from the bump on my head? What...?"

"Edward," Carlisle, the doctor, said, "if you'll let Jasper bring you to my study, I will explain everything."

I huffed. What choice did I have? Here I was, in a house out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a bunch of people who claimed to be vampires. I was afraid for my life!

Lmao I'd be scared shitless too!

Finally, I nodded, and Jasper lifted me to my feet with a small smile. He really was strong, and just as cold as the rest of them. Weird. The rest of the family left the room, and Carlisle beckoned for me and Jasper to follow. While we walked, I took another look at all the artwork on the walls. If the Cullens were indeed vampires, it was very likely all that stuff was authentic.

When we went into Carlisle's office, I noticed he had the same eclectic artwork around the room, along with a huge painting. It was of three men on a balcony, dressed in who knows what century clothing. One of the men looked like Carlisle's twin and, before I could stop myself, I pointed and asked, "Is that...?"

"Yes," Carlisle said quietly, sitting behind his ornate desk and folding his hands together on the top. "That, however, is a story for another time. I imagine you have questions, Edward. Please," he gestured to a leather sofa in front of his desk, "sit."

Taking my gaze off the painting, I walked over to the couch and sat down. Jasper joined me. Clearing my throat, I asked, "You are vampires? How...?"

"Vampires are a race as old as time," Carlisle explained. "We just stay secret. We only have one law, and that is to keep our secret safe from humans."

"But, if I am supposed to be Jasper's...mate, I have to know about you." This was so confusing; it was making my head hurt.

"Yes, well, in your case, an exception has to be made. Once you accept Jasper's advances as your mate, eventually, you will have to be turned."

"Turned?" I asked, feeling my heart start to beat faster. Jasper stood and moved to the other side of the room. "Like, turned into a vampire?"

"Yes," Carlisle nodded.

Holy shit. My family. My friends. What the fuck would I tell them?

As if he could read my mind, Jasper said quietly, "That's a long time away, yet."

"Well, I admit it's a lot to take in, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now," I replied lamely, looking down into my lap.

"For now, Edward, I suggest you get to know Jasper better. Spend some time together. Go out on dates." Carlisle smiled.

_Dates? _Jasper was by no means my boyfriend, and I didn't even know if I could like him that way. These...people were telling me I was going to have to have a future with a...vampire, and that I would be one myself? What the fuck? I was only seventeen, and never really had a boyfriend. This was so not fair.

"I have another question," I stated boldly.

"Go on," Carlisle urged.

"What does being a mate mean, exactly?"

"Well, Jasper is drawn to you. You and feeding are all he thinks about. Your blood is the sweetest smelling nectar to him, but he would never hurt you. He feels fiercely protective of you, and will fight to the death for you. Normally, when two vampires mate, they both feel the attraction and are able to claim each other right away. However, with you being human, it's going to take some time."

"What do you mean, claim?" I couldn't help asking.

"When a vampire finds his or her mate, they claim them...sexually," Carlisle answered.

"Ohh..." I answered, nodding at Carlisle. I then looked to Jasper. "So what exactly can I expect from you?"

"Do you want me to be blunt?" Jasper asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Might as well," I sighed.

Jasper's features softened and he smiled softly. "I want to touch you all the time. Your scent is the best thing I have ever smelled, and I want to keep you here with me."

I opened my mouth to say something, but Jasper held his hand up. "I know it isn't possible to keep you here right now, but I am going to want you to visit more. Also, I would like to visit you and meet your family."

He walked back over and sat beside me. I heard him inhale deeply close to my neck. I won't lie, it was a bit strange.

"Your scent is incredible, and now it's permeated my room and the house. I won't like being away from you even more now," he murmured, and his chilly breath washed over my skin.

I shivered slightly and looked down, knowing my face was getting red. He was so bold.

"Edward?" Carlisle asked, and I looked up at him.

"Do you accept Jasper's...courting, so to speak?"

I ran my hand through my hair. Wow. What choice did I have, really? I mean, they explained everything, and it made sense, it was just a huge shock. Don't get me wrong. Jasper was seriously good looking, and he was nice. All of his family were.

"Wait. The first day I came to school, you acted like you hated me. Was it because of this mate thing?" I asked, curious.

"Yes." Jasper answered. "As soon as I caught your scent, I knew you were my mate, and I wanted you. I wanted to claim you right there in the classroom, but I knew I couldn't. That class period was exquisite torture."

"And that's why you left?"

"I had to go away, to some friends in Alaska, to get a handle on my control, so I could be around you without wanting to take you all the time."

Interesting. Curious, I asked, "What about right now? Is it hard for you to sit next to me?"

"Somewhat," Jasper chuckled. "I do want to touch you, hold your hand, feel your lovely soft skin. In a way, however, it is easier to resist because you are here, in my home. You aren't out where other men can try to lure you to them."

Jasper's eyes got a far off look, and he lost the kind look he previously had. It clicked then.

"The cafeteria. You were going to go after Eric, weren't you?"

"Yes," Jasper said simply. "He was touching my mate."

I could feel myself blush a bit, knowing he really felt that strongly toward me. "Well, I have no intention of letting Eric touch me again, or anything else, for that matter. He's an asshole."

Jasper's face lit up in a smile. "I'm happy to hear that," he said.

A comfortable silence fell, and I thought over the whole mate thing. Jasper couldn't help it, it seemed, and who was I to deny him what he felt? Yes, it would be strange, going on dates with a vampire, but what the hell. You only live once...usually.

"Alright," I finally said. "I accept the...what did you call it?"

"Courting," Carlisle smiled.

"Yes, that. I accept."

Jasper and Carlisle's smiles were huge, and I actually smiled a little myself.

Carlisle rose from his chair. "Shall we go find the rest of the family?"

"Sure," I agreed, and followed him out of his office. As we walked out, I felt a cold pressure on my lower back, and realized it was Jasper's hand. Funnily enough, I didn't mind it.

We found the rest of the Cullens in the living room, sitting and talking. Alice was looking very happy and satisfied with herself. Esme and Emmett were smiling. Rosalie was sitting next to Emmett with a scowl and her arms crossed over her chest.

"I guess all of you heard our conversation," Carlisle said with a grin.

Alice bounced up off of the couch and tackled me in a hug.

"Welcome to the family, Edward," she almost squealed, then let me go. "Wow. He does smell good, Jasper."

Her statement caused just a little bit of panic to rise in me, but Carlisle laid his hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, son. None of us will hurt you."

Thankful for the reassurance, I gave him a smile. "Um...I should be getting home soon."

Emmett stood. "Me and Jasper will take him," he offered, and Jasper rolled his eyes at his brother.

"Sorry, bro, but you can't be left alone with Edward just yet," Emmett said, and Jasper looked at Carlisle.

"He's right, Jasper. Soon, though," their father replied.

Jasper continued to look at Carlisle for a moment, then nodded.

"I'll go get the Jeep," Emmett said, and disappeared.

Esme stood and walked over to me, then surprised me by pulling me into a brief hug.

"Welcome, Edward. Please come by anytime."

"Thank you, ma'am. I will."

She laughed lightly. "Please, just Esme."

I nodded and heard the rumble of Emmett's Jeep outside.

"Come on," Jasper said softly, and rested his hand on the small of my back again as he led me out the door.

Emmet insisted I sit in the front with him, but Jasper wanted me to sit in the back, where he was. They got into a small argument about control, and it ended up that I sat in the front while Jasper drove. Emmett told him that it would be good for him to have something to concentrate on. I was just confused and felt kind of weird.

The whole way to my house, Emmett made jokes about mates and shit, and I could tell Jasper was getting pissed. His hands kept clenching on the steering well, and I started to get nervous.

"Um...Emmett, you might not want to make anymore jokes. Jasper's getting mad," I said, and Emmett laughed.

"Ah, he can take it," Emmett replied, and, as an attempt to calm Jasper down, I boldly reached over and took his hand off the steering wheel, holding it between both of mine. It seemed to work, because he smiled at me and relaxed a little bit.

I didn't even have to give Jasper directions to my house. He knew exactly where it was, and it surprised me. When he stopped the Jeep, I looked over at him.

"Jasper, how did you know where I live?"

He looked down for a minute, then met my eyes with his.

"Your scent," he said simply, with a small smile.

My brows met my hairline. "You can really smell me so strongly?"

"Yes."

"Thank God you shower," Emmett joked, and I laughed, but Jasper gave him a dirty look.

"Thank you for the ride home, and for...everything," I told the two, and opened the Jeep door to get out. Before I could close the door, though, Jasper took hold of my hand and brought it to his face. He pressed his lips against the back of my hand then turned it over and inhaled along the inside of my wrist. It felt kind of intimate, but also sent a small shiver down my spine. Wow. He wasn't kidding about liking the way I smell.

He let my hand go and I smiled shyly. I could feel my cheeks heating up in a blush. "See you tomorrow," I said, and closed the Jeep door.

They stayed in the driveway until I was inside the house, then I heard them drive away. My mind was still reeling from everything I had been told. I started walking up the stairs and Mom stopped me before I could get halfway.

"Edward, you were supposed to be home an hour ago," she said sternly.

"I know, Mom. I ran late. We kind of forgot the time."

"Well, you could have called. You missed dinner." She put her hands on her hips.

"Crap," I sighed. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"Please, don't let it happen again or you're going to be grounded."

"I won't. I promise. Can I go do my homework now?"

"Yes," Mom answered, sounding a little less mad. "I'll bring you something to eat."

"Thanks," I said, and went to my room. When I passed Bella's door, I could hear her loud ass music and I banged on the wall with my fist.

"Go away, dipshit!" she yelled.

"Turn that down!" I yelled back. "I have homework!"

Surprisingly, she turned down her music. I should have known it was too good to be true because, as soon as I got settled at my desk, she knocked on my partway opened door.

"Can I come in?"

"I guess," I answered, pulling out my Trig book and opening it to the right page.

Bella walked in, wearing her pajamas, and sat on the floor beside my chair. "Spill it, Edward," she said seriously.

"Spill what?" I asked, getting started on my work.

"I want to know how it was over at the Cullens, you dork," she said, and pushed my leg.

"Oh, it was fine. Me and Emmett played Xbox."

"Are you serious?" she asked, giving me a look.

I looked at her and laughed at her expression. "Yes, I'm serious."

"Well," she pouted, "at least tell me what their house is like."

"Big. They have a lot of antiques, too," I answered.

"Wow," Bella said softly. "I hope I get to see it sometime."

Her comment reminded me that sometime in the future, I would have to leave her behind when I became a vampire. It was a little saddening. Bella got on my nerves and all, but she's still my sister.

"Maybe," I told her, and after a few minutes, she figured out that I wasn't going to say anything else, so she told me goodnight and went back to her room.

Mom brought me a sandwich and a soda, and I ate in record time. I didn't realize I was so hungry. When I was finished, I took the plate and empty can downstairs, and my dad was in the kitchen, eating a piece of pie at the breakfast bar.

"Hey, son," he said, and I nodded at him.

"Hey, Dad. What's up?" I asked as I rinsed my plate and put it in the dishwasher.

"I saw you were with the Cullen boys tonight."

"Yeah. Emmett invited me over to play Xbox. It was a fun time."

Dad smiled. "I guess so, since you were late."

Sighing, I leaned on the bar across from him. "I already told Mom I was sorry and it wouldn't happen again."

Dad held his hands up in defense. "I'm not bitching at you, Edward. I just wanted to let you know something."

"Yeah? What is it?" I asked, curious.

"If you...ah...decided to...date one of the Cullen boys, I wouldn't be opposed. From what I hear around town, they are good kids."

Hiding my surprise, I smiled. "Thanks, Dad. I'll keep that in mind." If only he knew what shit I found out today, I bet he wouldn't be saying what he just did. "Night, Dad. I'm going to bed."

"Night, Edward."

Leaving the kitchen as fast as I dared, I went back up to my room and closed the door. After grabbing a pair of sleep pants from my dresser, I stripped, changed, then got into bed.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the amber eyes of the Cullens shining in the darkness. It wasn't a scary sight, just different.

Now the blond girl, Rosalie, I was a little worried about. I knew she was Emmett's mate, but there was no doubt she didn't like me at all. The look on her face when Jasper and I were finished talking with Carlisle said it all. If things worked out between Jasper and me, I hoped she could eventually like me.

According to the Cullens, vampire mates were serious. Yeah, I felt weird about it a little, but it was also interesting to see what would happen. Was there a chance Jasper and I could fall in love and I could become like him, to be with him for eternity? It was almost surreal.

Lying there still thinking about Carlisle's talk, I eventually fell into an exhausted sleep.

**/\o0O0o/\**

The next morning, I was just finishing breakfast when I heard a car honk outside. Bella ran to look and came back in the kitchen, frowning.

"Do we know anyone who drives a silver Dodge Charger with black racing stripes?"

Mom, Dad, and me all shook our heads and looked at each other. I decided to go look for myself and, when I looked out the window, my mouth hung open. Jasper was standing there, in my driveway, leaning on that badass muscle car. His arms were crossed over his chest and he looked...good. I grinned widely.

Going back in the kitchen, I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. "It's for me. I'll see you guys later," I told the rest of my family, and Bella's mouth hung open.

"Who is it?" she demanded.

"Jasper," I smiled, and went out the door, leaving her standing there in shock.

When I got to Jasper's car, he smiled warmly at me and opened the passenger door. "Morning, Edward," he said in his smooth voice. "Would you like a ride?"

"Hell, yeah," I answered, and got in the car.

**Well, there y'all have it! I hope you liked it! Lemme know! :D**

**Penny**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hey y'all! This story is owning me at the moment! I have fallen in love with these boys *giggle***

**Thank you and hugs to my prereader, DelphiusFanfic, and my beta, Layne Faire. Corey will be back, along with Layne, next chap.**

**I own nothing Twilight. I only own my devious mind. Hope y'all enjoy!**

**JPOV**

My mate's enthusiasm at riding to school with me made me incredibly happy, and I couldn't contain my smile when I opened the passenger door for him to get in. I halfway expected him to come out the door yelling at me about everything he had learned the day before, and I was thrilled when he didn't.

When I got in the driver's side, Edward's rich, spicy scent had already permeated the entire interior, and my head was immediately filled with it. For a moment, I had to take shallow breaths to keep the venom from pooling in my mouth. When I had myself under control, I started the car and took off.

"Nice ride," Edward commented while we navigated the wet roads.

"Thank you," I replied with a soft smile. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"I slept okay," he answered, fidgeting with the zipper on his backpack. Unable to help myself, I reached over and took his hand in mine, so he would stop. He glanced at me, his cheeks turning pink.

"I was worried," I told him quietly. "After everything you learned yesterday..."

"Well, I figured 'what the hell'. I believed Carlisle when he told me you guys have mates, and who am I to deny you yours? I will admit, though, it will take a bit of getting used to. I mean, I hardly know anything about you."

"You can ask whatever you like," I said earnestly.

He looked like he was thinking, then asked, "How old are you?"

"One hundred sixty nine," I answered promptly. I knew this would be his first question. "I was changed at the age of twenty, in 1863."

Edward's eyes widened. "Wow."

Chuckling, I said, "Carlisle's the oldest."

"Again with the wow." My mate smiled, and I very gently squeezed his hand.

As we pulled into the school parking lot, I commented, "I know your mind must be overflowing with questions, but I have forever, and will answer them gladly."

"Thanks," Edward murmured.

I parked next to Emmett's Jeep and Edward reached for the door handle, but I put my hand on his arm to stop him. He looked at me, confused.

"Edward, now that you know you're my mate, I feel threatened by others around you. Forgive me if I want to be touching you when we are together."

He looked a bit nervous, but smiled nonetheless. "I kind of figured you would, especially after what happened with-"

"Please. Don't say it," I said, narrowing my eyes. My Edward should never utter such filth. A low growl escaped without my permission.

Upon seeing and hearing my reaction, my mate's eyes widened for the briefest moment then, in a bold move I never would have expected, he trailed one of his fingers down my cheek. The heat radiated off of his hand onto my cold skin, warming me for the briefest moment, and the point where our skin met felt white hot, burning me straight through to my unbeating heart. I swear I felt it jump at the contact.

"There's nothing for you to worry about, Jasper," Edward said in a slightly shaky voice, then swallowed. "I'm...um...yours now."

He lowered his head, blushing furiously, and dropped his hand from my cheek. The monster inside my chest roared in satisfaction, and it took all my control to keep from crushing him to me in a hug. However, I knew he wasn't ready for that yet, and I was astounded at the effort he madeat trying to soothe me.

A knock on my car window effectively ruined our private moment, and Edward jumped, startled. "Shit. I bet we're going to be late," he mumbled, and got out of the car.

Stepping from the car, I glared at Rose, who had done the knocking. She looked smug. Emmett and Alice were also giving her dirty stares. I ignored her and went to stand next to my still blushing mate. Surprisingly, he stepped closer to me and I placed my hand on the small of his back, like I did before.

"Edward!" Emmett called. "How ya doing this morning?"

I shot Em a small smile. He accepted Edward with no qualms at all and I was so thankful he didn't judge.

"I'm good, Emmett," Edward said with a smile. "How are you guys?"

"Fine," my brother replied, then smirked. "Even though I didn't sleep a wink last night."

Rose elbowed Emmett in the side and he ignored her. Edward laughed at Emmett's comment and replied, "I bet you didn't!"

At that moment, the bell rang and we had to head to class. I walked Edward to his first class, leaving him with the promise I'd be waiting for him after. His answer in the form of a sweet smile and nod made me feel incredibly happy. So far, the day promised to be a good one.

**/\o0O0o/\**

Alice and Emmett were excited that I had asked Edward to sit with me at lunch, but Rosalie was still pissed. I made a mental note to talk to Carlisle when I got home about her behavior. It infuriated me and I didn't know how much longer I'd be able to control myself. She was Emmett's mate and, if I fought with her, I fought with Emmett.

Edward ignored Rosalie's attitude, which I was thankful for, but it could have been because he seemed nervous about all the stares from everyone in the cafeteria when he sat next to me at our table. His friends' eyes were wide and their mouths hung open. It was funny, to say the least.

Emmett asked Edward endless questions while he ate. He wanted to know what everything tasted like. It annoyed me, but Edward tirelessly played his game. He even offered him some of his food, but Emmett declined, telling Edward he would only regurgitate it. Edward was sufficiently 'grossed out' then, and started mumbling questions at me while he finished his lunch.

"No sleeping?" He asked around a mouthful of apple.

"Never," I answered so only my siblings and mate could hear.

"Super strength?"

"Somewhat."

"Fast as hell?"

"Definitely."

"You never eat food?"

"We can, but choose not to. It makes us sick and tastes like dirt."

My mate chuckled softly. "Bathroom?"

"No."

"Do you sweat?"

"No."

The interrogation went on much in this manner, and I found myself both content and intrigued at what he might ask next.

Unfortunately, the bell rang and lunch was over. My mate and I parted ways with my family and went to Biology. When we walked in together, the murmurs didn't escape us, but there had been students whispering all day about our newfound friendship. There were even mutterings about a gay relationship, and what surprised me the most was that Edward didn't seem bothered by any of it.

For the most part, he seemed relaxed and happy being with me and my siblings. That meant more to me than he could imagine. He was mingling with monsters and honestly, it gave me hope.

The only thing I worried about at the moment was how Edward would be treated in his last class of the day, P.E. His friends were in there, as well as others who didn't know my mate very well. I was afraid he'd have to take shit for not sitting with the other boys at lunch, and if he did, I couldn't promise to contain my inner beast. I wouldn't tolerate anyone harming or harassing my mate in any way.

After school, I stood just outside the doors of the gym, waiting for Edward to come out. When he did, his friends were walking with him and they were laughing. However, when they saw me standing there, they quickly said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. I felt guilty.

Edward walked up to me after telling his friends he would see them tomorrow and he must have seen my emotions played out on my face.

"Jasper? What's wrong?" he asked, a small line of worry appearing in between his brows.

"I'm taking you from your friends," I mumbled.

"Oh, you are not," he laughed lightly. "We'll just have to find a balance, is all. Come on."

He nudged me in the side with his elbow, then rubbed his elbow briefly. "Ow," he muttered and I smirked playfully at him.

"Watch it. I'm one tough cookie, or whatever it is you say these days," I told him.

He laughed loudly and we continued walking to my car. He seemed to be in a very good mood, and it was infectious.

"That's better," he said in a decisive tone.

When we reached the car, I stuck the key in the door to unlock it, and Rose stepped up next to Edward.

"Are _you_ coming over today?" she asked haughtily, and Emmett grasped her upper arm.

"I...well...I don't know..." Edward stammered and looked toward the ground, unwilling to meet her eyes.

"Yes, he is," I stepped in, lightly draping my arm around my mate's shoulders. He didn't tense, like I expected him to, just continued to stare at his shoes. How dare Rosalie make my Edward feel inferior? "Do you have a problem with that?"

I could feel the growl building in my chest, but knew better than to let it out right here. Edward must have felt my body shake with the restraint because, suddenly, I felt his warm hand on mine.

His tentative touch brought me out of my anger for the moment, and I looked at him. He stared at me through big, frightened eyes.

"No," he whispered, and just like that, my ire started to fade."Let's just go," he continued, and I gave him a curt nod.

Quickly, I unlocked the car and felt a bit better once Edward was sitting in the passenger seat, his scent filling my head. Rosalie had pissed me off so much, it would have been nothing for me to rip her head off right there in front of everyone.

I started the engine and drove off, not bothering to wait for the rest of the family. I didn't speak until we were well on our way to my house.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I told my mate softly, and the frown of nervousness he had been sporting since Rose opened her mouth finally disappeared.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Jasper," he said quietly. "I don't know why, but she intimidates me. I wish I knew why she hates me so much."

"Rosalie doesn't like change, and she doesn't like the fact that my mate is a human. She thinks our existence has been compromised."

"Compromised?" Edward asked, again with a furrowed brow.

"Humans are never supposed to know of our existence. It's the one law we have to abide by," I explained, while I turned into the long gravel driveway to my home.

"I didn't know you had laws," my mate commented, looking out the window.

"The 'lawmakers' are the Volturi, who live under the city of Volterra, in Italy. I'll tell you about them sometime," I told him with a smile.

I pulled the car to a stop and cut the engine, then got out and walked around to open Edward's door. He got out, smiling at me, and it made me feel warm inside. I was happy he'd become more accepting of my advances, but feared something might happen to fuck it up.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I led Edward into the house and we were immediately met by Esme, who held a plate of brownies in her hands.

"Edward, I'm so happy you came by," she smiled. "I've been trying my hand at cooking. Would you like to try a brownie?"

"Um...sure. Thanks, Mrs. Cullen," Edward answered, and took a brownie from the plate. I watched while he took a bite, chewed slowly, then swallowed. His Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed and the sight of it sent a spike of lust through my whole body.

"Just Esme," she chided gently, and Edward smiled.

"Sorry, Esme. These are really good and I thank you for making them for me."

Jesus, he was such a charmer. If Esme could blush, she'd be red as a fire engine.

"You're welcome. I'll just leave them in the kitchen for you," my mother said. The front door then opened, startling Edward. He jumped, and I put my hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him. His heart was racing at the noise of the door, and it wasn't helping my lust any.

"Mom! We're home!" Emmett yelled, and my mate looked at me, a little worriedly. I knew what fueled it - he was afraid of Rosalie.

"Would you like a drink, then we can go to my room?" I asked Edward, and he smiled gratefully.

"Please."

Using my vampire speed, I dashed into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of water, then took Edward's hand and led him up the stairs. As we passed by the rest of the family, I heard Rosalie make an undignified noise under her breath, meant for my ears only. I ignored her, but only just.

Once in my room, I closed the door and gestured for Edward to sit on the couch. He would be safe here. None of my family would dare come in my room without at least knocking first.

I got comfortable next to Edward while he drank from his bottle of water. When he finished, he replaced the cap and set it on the floor next to his backpack.

"Thank you, Jasper, for getting me away from Rosalie," he said quietly, and I took his hand.

"You have nothing to thank me for. I'll protect you from anything I can, even her. She'll get over the fact that you're human soon enough."

"Still," Edward murmured and lowered his head, pretending to be interested in his shoelaces.

Slowly and carefully, I cupped his chin in my hand and raised his head up so he was looking at me again. His eyes were so pure, such an amazing shade of emerald, I wanted to get lost in them. However, at the moment, they were slightly tainted with sadness, and I didn't like it.

"Please, Edward, don't let her get to you. It saddens me to see the hurt in your eyes."

"I can't help it," he replied quietly. "Like I said, she intimidates me. I think she would kill me if she had the chance."

A low growl escaped before I could stop it. "She will not harm one hair on your head."

Edward's eyes softened at my growl and statement, which surprised me.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" I couldn't help asking.

He shrugged. "I'm just not. You say I'm your mate, and I just have this...feeling... that you won't hurt me."

"Never," I promised.

A smirk suddenly formed on my mate's full lips, and he moved closer to me.

"I know that you won't hurt me if I do this..." he trailed off, resting his hand on my chest. The warmth of his skin felt like it was branding me with his handprint, his touch sublime.

"Or this," he continued in a soft voice, having no idea he was driving me insane with want. He reached up with his other hand and tucked my hair behind my ear, brushing his fingers against my skin. I focused my eyes on his face, and he was smiling.

"You're so cold," he mused. "I like the way your skin feels."

Edward then slid his hand up my chest and over my shoulder, to the back of my neck. He tangled his fingers in my hair, and my breath caught in my throat. He was so close, I could see every pore in his skin and every eyelash as he blinked slowly. His scent was making me crazy with desire and I didn't know how long I could control the urge to claim him, right here on my bedroom floor.

Edward moved his fingers from my ear to my mouth and ran the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. "Your lips feel so soft and smooth," he whispered, looking closely at my mouth. The monster inside me was screaming now, wanting to touch him like he was touching me. I ached to trail my fingers all over his body and memorize every inch of flesh they came in contact with.

"Edward," I whispered, using all the control I could muster, "you might want to be careful."

He frowned slightly. "Why? I'm your mate. Can't I touch you, to see how you feel?"

"Yes, but-"

"Shh, Jasper. I am fascinated in you...how you feel..." he traced my lips again "...how you smell..." he leaned forward and stuck his nose in my hair, inhaling deeply. I should have stopped him, but all I could do was remain still, like a statue. I was afraid that if I moved, I would do something I'd regret, and, honestly, his touches felt too good for me to make him move.

Edward pulled back a bit and rested his hands on my shoulders. His pupils were dilated and I had a feeling my eyes had gone black. He tilted his head and leaned closer... so close, I could feel his breath on my lips. My monster was going insane, begging to be let out.

"I want to know everything about you," he whispered with a small smile. "Right now, I'm wondering if you taste as good as you smell."

Before I could say anything, Edward touched his lips to mine, and a fire exploded throughout my whole body. He tried to pull back after one chaste kiss, but the monster had been unleashed and I gripped his shoulders, holding him still. My mouth parted against his and I flicked my tongue out to taste his lips. Fuck, they were soft and so sweet, I had to have more.

Edward gasped at the feel of my tongue on his lips and he opened his mouth, inviting me in. I leapt at the chance to have at least some part of me inside him, and I pushed my tongue into his mouth, trying to taste everywhere all at once.

He moaned softly and slid his tongue along mine, into my mouth. I let go of his shoulders and gripped handfuls of his soft as silk hair instead. We parted briefly and my mate drew in a much needed breath. The sight of his red, puffy lips and flushed cheeks only made me want more, and I kissed him again, roughly. He turned his head a bit, so he could breathe, but didn't move his mouth from my skin. His lips left a wet trail across my cheek and jaw until he reached my neck, where he pressed kisses there.

Growling, I pinned my mate to the sofa and kissed his neck, right on his pulse point. I could feel and hear the blood rushing wildly through his veins, and it spurred me on to try more. He was excited by my touches; I was very aware of the hardness against my hip. It matched my own. The scent of his arousal pounded through my senses with every beat of his heart.

Slowly, I licked along the vein in the side of his neck and opened my mouth. My mind was so hazy with lust and desire, I was unaware of what I was thinking of doing. Every cell in my body was screaming for me to fuck Edward, to claim him, bite him and drink as I came. I would turn him so he could be with me for eternity, like he was supposed to be.

Right before my teeth met my mate's neck, I half whispered, half snarled "Mine" and suddenly, I found myself against the wall of my room, being held there by Carlisle, while Alice led a very dazed looking Edward out of the room by his hand.

"Let me go," I growled, trying to get out of the hold Carlisle had on me. The more I fought him, the harder he held me and I snarled at him, snapping my teeth.

"Calm down, Jasper," my father told me in a stern voice, and I struggled only a bit more, then held still. If he would let me go, I could go after Edward.

Carlisle did let me go, and as I dashed toward the door, I ran into Emmett, who wrapped his arms around me. I knew I'd been defeated then, and I slumped to the floor.

"Dude, you got a little wild there for a minute," Emmett said, keeping his hold on me.

My breathing was coming out in rapid pants as I tried to get my wits about me again. Oh holy fuck, what did I do?

As if he was reading my mind, Carlisle said, "Alice saw what was happening and warned us."

"Fuck. I'm sorry. Shit. I need to apologize to Edward. Where did Alice take him?" I was suddenly very afraid I had fucked up everything.

"Home," Emmett said quietly. "You're not safe right now."

Shame and guilt flooded my body and I put my face in my hands. "Let me go. Please," I whispered.

"Okay, but I'm on watch tonight," Emmett replied, and I nodded.

My brother released me and I remained sitting on the floor of my bedroom with my knees pulled up and my face in my hands. I could still taste Edward in my mouth and feel his soft, warm skin beneath my hands. The scent of him in my room was nearly overwhelming, and all I could do was pray to whatever Gods might listen that my mate would forgive me for what I had almost done.

**Already working on net chap, so y'all will get to see Edward's reaction to all this. **

**I hope you enjoyed this...please let me know! :D**

**Till next time,**

**Penny**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hey y'all! I am back with more for ya, and ch. 8 is almost done as well :)**

**Many thanks to my prereader, DelphiusFanfic, who writes The Debt. Y'all NEED to check it out! Also thanks to Corey, my beta, who also has a profile with the name Argetlam Shadowmoon. Check him out too! My other beta, Layne Faire, will be back next chapter to work her magic.**

**I don't own Twilight, and I will stop rambling, so...ENJOY!**

**EPOV**

"Alice, what the hell is going on?"

She looked weird behind the wheel of Jasper's car; she was so short.

"I had to get you away, Edward. Jasper lost control, and it wasn't safe."

Shaking my head to clear it, I said, "I don't understand." My mind was going 90 miles an hour. One minute, Jasper and I were kissing and the next, he was gone and I was outside, being pushed into the car. My cock hadn't even fully deflated yet, and I was halfway home.

"He almost bit you, and if Carlisle hadn't pulled him off of you, he would have," Alice said seriously.

Just a bit of panic shot through me at her statement. Yes, I accepted Jasper and all, but I wasn't ready to be a vampire just yet. Shit! Would we ever be able to be alone together anymore? Could I trust him not to lose control again?

Guilt then took the place of the panic. It was all my fault since I'd teased him and initiated the kiss. I had just been too curious. Suddenly, I wanted to talk to Jasper. I needed to apologize to him, but I knew I couldn't go back to the Cullens' right now.

"Alice, can I have Jasper's cell number?"

She hesitated for just a moment. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Edward. Hearing your voice..."

"No, I just want to text him," I corrected her. "I need to apologize."

Alice seemed a little surprised at first, then nodded. "Okay."

I fished my phone out of my pocket, and she recited the number to me. When I had it programmed in, I thanked her and immediately wrote a text.

**Jasper, I am so sorry for causing you to lose control. I was only curious, and I hope you're not mad at me. **

After sending the message, I shoved my phone back in my jeans and stared out the window.

"It's not your fault, Edward," Alice said quietly.

"Yes, it is. I initiated the whole thing. He's probably pissed, along with Rosalie and the rest of your family," I answered morosely.

Alice pulled into my driveway and I got out of the car before she had a chance to say anything. Without looking back, I went into the house, and I didn't even hear her leave.

In a way, I was surprised at how bad I felt for what I did. The whole mate and vampire thing had me fascinated, and I was 'testing the waters' so to speak. It seemed that was definitely the wrong thing to do.

After trudging up the stairs, I heard Mom call my name, but I ignored her. I went straight into my room and closed the door, dropped my backpack by my desk, and sat down. I had homework to do, but didn't feel like doing it. All I could do was sit there and hope and pray Jasper texted me back.

A knock on my door startled me, and I jumped, my heart in my throat. "Come in."

My dad walked in, looking concerned. "Edward, did you not hear your mom call for you?"

"Yes, I did."

"What's going on?" He asked, leaning against the door frame.

"It's...complicated," I sighed.

Dad walked into my room and sat on my bed. "I'm all ears. Try me."

Frantically, I searched my brain for what to tell him. I couldn't very well come out and say 'See, Dad, I was told by a vampire that I'm his mate, so I kissed him and he went crazy'. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, Dad held up his hand.

"Is there something going on at school?"

"Oh, no. Nothing like that," I assured him.

"Then it could only be one other thing. What's his name?" He smirked.

"Jasper."

Dad raised a brow. "One of the Cullen kids?"

"Yeah. You know them?" He had me curious.

"Not personally, but I have seen them around town. I know their dad, Carlisle. He was the doctor that took care of you when you hit your head."

I nodded.

"They are good kids," Dad continued. "Never been in any kind of trouble that I know of. So, what's Jasper done?"

"Nothing," I answered. "I...like him, but I don't know if he likes me back. We're friends and everything, but..."

"Well, does he act like he likes you?"

"I think so. He...looks at me and stuff, you know, when he thinks I don't see him."

Dad's expression was thoughtful. "You're pretty good friends with his brother, aren't you?"

"Emmett? Yeah. We've been playing video games and hanging out when I go over there."

"My advice is to just continue what you're doing. I know you don't want to ruin your friendship with him and, if it turns out he likes you back, I'm sure he'll let you know."

I held back a snort. If he only knew the truth.

"Thanks, Dad," I said, then jumped, startled again, as my phone vibrated in my pocket.

"You're welcome, son," he said, standing and walking back to the door. "Your mom was calling you for dinner, so come get some. And hey, keep your chin up, alright?"

He smiled warmly at me, and I returned it. It was so nice of him to take the time to try to talk to me, especially about boys. I halfway expected him to be uncomfortable with it, but he didn't seem to be in the slightest.

"Be right down," I told him, and he left the room. When I was sure I heard him go back into the kitchen, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and held it for a minute. What if Jasper's answer was bad? What would I do then? Even though I had only just found out about the mate thing, I was invested in it. If Jasper rejected me, I didn't know what I would do.

With a deep breath, I opened my phone.

**Babe, you have nothing to apologize for. I should apologize to you. Never doubt that I want you. It's because I want you so much that I have to be more careful. **

Seriously? He wasn't angry with me? A slow smile spread across my face, and I typed back to him quickly.

**Jasper, thank God! I was so worried! So, I'll see you at school tomorrow?**

After I hit the send button, it was only seconds before it vibrated again.

**Edward, I will be waiting to pick you up outside your house in the morning.**

Grinning even wider, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and went to have some dinner.

**/\o0O0o/\**

The next morning, I was surprised to see Emmett's Jeep waiting outside for me. That meant I had to ride with all of them. Jasper was standing outside it, waiting for me, and when I reached him, he gave me an apologetic look.

"It's okay," I assured him, and got into the back seat. I was between Jasper and Alice, and she chatted to me like nothing had even happened the day before. Jasper looked a bit sullen, so I took his hand to try to make him feel better. I knew why we had to ride with the rest of his family. They had to keep an eye on him. I understood that.

The day passed fairly uneventfully, until right at the end of lunch. Alice informed us that we would have to do blood typing in Biology, and Jasper looked positively mortified. I told him I would be fine, and that I understood if he had to skip. He seemed worried anyway, but I went to class and made it through alright. I won't lie, I missed him in there, but by the time class was over, three people had fainted, and some blood had escaped the typing cards, leaving drops on the lab tables and floor. Jasper was right to skip.

After school, I didn't go over to the Cullens, but when they dropped me off at home, Jasper got out as well and walked me to the porch. He seemed nervous, scuffing his shoes on the wood, and I found it endearing.

"Edward," he said quietly, "I was wondering if, perhaps, you might allow me to take you to dinner tomorrow night, maybe with a scenic walk afterwards?"

Oh wow, he was asking me on a date! It would be my first, and he looked so cute doing it, with his curls falling in his face and his head lowered just a bit. He was being a gentleman, and I would be lying if I didn't admit to swooning a bit. Well, a very large bit.

"I'd love to," I answered him and took one of his hands in mine to stop his fidgeting. He glanced at our hands for a moment, then slowly pulled me into a brief hug. With his nose in the crook of my neck, he inhaled deeply, then let me go.

"See you tomorrow," he said softly, and turned to walk away. I watched them leave, waving as they pulled away from the house, before going inside. Bella was waiting for me just inside the door.

"Ooh, what was that all about?" she asked.

"I have a date tomorrow night," I answered, heading into the kitchen. Just as I suspected, she followed me.

"With Jasper?"

I nodded, grabbed a granola bar and a bottle of water, and left the room. She was still right on my heels.

"You're kidding," she accused, narrowing her eyes.

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs to face her. "You were watching out the window. I'm sure you heard everything."

"Yeah, but - " she huffed, following me up the stairs.

"But what?"

"Jasper _Cullen_? Do you know how many girls at school are heartbroken because he's gay?"

As I reached the top of the stairs, I turned to face her again. "Does it matter?"

She had a surprised look on her face. "Well...no...but..."

"Okay then," I said, went into my room, and closed the door. She was still standing outside, I just knew it, so I flipped the lock just to be safe.

After a minute, I heard Bella's door shut and I settled at my desk to do my homework. Thankfully, I didn't have much, and when I was done, I kicked off my shoes and laid back on my bed. When I closed my eyes, images of Jasper floated behind my lids, and I found myself smiling.

He really was a beautiful creature, with his blonde curls that occasionally hung in his face. I wanted to push them behind his ear when I sat with him at lunch. His eyes had me intrigued and fascinated. They could change so quickly, from the lightest honey color to the blackest pitch in a matter of seconds. I stared at them probably more often than I should.

My thoughts wandered to the previous day, when I touched his skin. It was hard and smooth, yet flawless. Surprisingly, the coldness didn't bother me. I rather liked it. When I touched my lips to his, the first thing I noticed, obviously, was the temperature, but then the smoothness and sweetness of them took over and I just wanted to kiss him for hours. In that moment, I envied him for not needing to breathe.

The feel of his mouth on me felt like silk caressing my skin, and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to feel them everywhere. When he opened his mouth and touched his tongue to my lips, I knew I wanted to taste him fully. Just thinking about it had my dick hardening in my jeans.

My door was locked, so I lowered my hand and rubbed my cock with the heel of my palm, through the denim. I wondered what it would be like to have Jasper's hand doing this to me. Would he be gentle, or would he add just enough pressure to tease?

When we kissed and I tasted his cool mouth for the first time, it sent tingles throughout my whole body. I searched out every space I could to get more and more of his unique flavor. He was sweet, with a manly, spicy undertone that made me incredibly hard.

Shit. Thinking about it had me at full mast already, and I needed skin to skin contact. After popping the button and pulling down the zip on my jeans, I shimmied them, along with my boxers, down my hips. My dick stood tall and proud, and slowly, I rubbed the flat of my palm around the very tip.

A moan built in my throat but I couldn't let it escape; there was no music playing to drown the noise. Still thinking of that amazing first kiss with Jasper, along with the silky feel of his skin under my lips as I moved to kiss his neck, I wrapped my hand around my cock and started to stroke long, slow pulls that caused me to gasp and arch my back.

Using my other hand, I shoved it up my shirt to scrape my fingernail over my nipple, which was already tightened into a hard bud from just my thoughts. Rolling it gently between my fingers, I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes closed, allowing the image of Jasper's black eyes to fill my mind.

I remembered hearing him growl as he pushed me back onto the couch. It was a low rumble of want that matched the desire he was making me feel. His lips found my neck and it was all I could do to keep from embarrassing myself and coming in my pants. He was so fucking sexy.

Working my cock fast and hard, pinching and palming my nipples, I tucked my shirt under my chin as I gasped for breath. This was my first wank over someone real, and I wasn't going to last much longer.

Jasper had then licked my neck, right where my vein was. He knew my blood was right there, under the surface, and knowing he wanted it was almost too much to bear. In that moment, I wanted to give it to him.

The thought of Jasper biting me, drinking my very life, then pulling back so I could see the blood on his lips had me grunting out my release and I let go of my nipple. Cupping my hand under the head of my cock, I tried to catch the come that completely missed and shot powerfully all over the legs of my jeans.

Fuck! Talk about an orgasm! I had never come that hard from a wank before!

It took a few minutes for my breathing to slow and as I eventually came back to my senses, I sat up and surveyed the mess on my jeans. Long, thick lines of come painted the legs like tiger stripes. Shaking my head, I smiled to myself and removed them carefully, so it wouldn't drip on my bed.

As I cleaned myself up and tried to wash some of the come off my pants so Mom hopefully wouldn't notice, I wondered what the date Jasper had planned for us would be like.

**/\o0O0o/\**

The next day at school was the typical Friday. Students were excited for the weekend and it showed. Teachers were getting annoyed at the rambunctiousness of everyone, which made them snippy.

Jasper seemed to be in a good mood, and he stayed close to me, but didn't offer as much physical contact as before. I wondered if it was because Carlisle told him not to, or if he didn't trust himself. Either way, I kind of missed it.

At lunch, I couldn't help myself and took his hand. He gave me a soft smile and Emmett looked at us warily.

"Don't worry," Jasper hissed at him. "I'm in control of myself."

He rolled his eyes and I grinned at him, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze.

"You remember what Carlisle said," Emmett hissed back.

"I know what he said, and I'm fine."

I watched the two bicker back and forth for a moment, then held up my free hand.

"Wait. What is going on?" I asked.

"Carlisle thinks Jasper should lay off the contact for a while," Emmett informed me, and, while I understood his reasons, it still hurt a little.

"I told you - "

"Nothing's going to happen," Alice said abruptly, cutting Jasper off. He gave Emmett a satisfied look and brought my hand to his mouth, gently brushing my knuckles with his lips. The coolness sent tingles down the back of my neck and made my cock wake up and take notice. Jesus, how he affected me.

After school, the Cullens dropped me off, but Alice wouldn't let Jasper walk me to the porch. She insisted that they needed to get home so she could 'get Jasper ready' for our date. I thought it was funny, but Jasper was annoyed as hell. So, with a kiss on the back of my hand, Jasper let me know he would pick me up at seven. I could hardly wait.

Surprisingly, my parents were happy to hear I had a date with Jasper, much to Bella's annoyance. She was sullen while they ate dinner, and ended up texting Jessica to come over for the night. They could have their pity party; I was excited to finally be alone with Jasper again.

By the time seven rolled around, I was showered, dressed, and ready to go. I chose an indigo pair of jeans with a red button down shirt, and my white trainers. I hoped I looked okay. Dad laughed and told me I was fine, but I still worried.

The doorbell rang at seven on the dot and, slightly nervous, I went and opened the door. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of Jasper. He was standing there, dressed in black jeans, a white button down shirt, black cowboy boots, and topped with a black waistcoat. Holy shit! His clothes hugged his lithe body, showing every detail, and all I wanted to to was ravish him on the spot. He smiled gently, lowering his head a little, and golden curls fell into his face. I returned his smile and could swear I saw his eyes darken a little as they roamed my body. Jesus.

"Hey," Jasper said softly in his smooth, sexy voice. "Are you ready to go?"

**I hope y'all liked it! Please let me know!**

**Penny**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hey y'all! Ready for more?**

**Thank you to Delphius Fanfic, for prereading, and Corey, for betaing. My other beta, Layne Faire, is ill at the time...she will be back soon.**

**I do not own Twilight. Enjoy!**

**JPOV**

If my palms could sweat, they would've been. I had no idea why I was so nervous about taking Edward out on a date. It was all I could think about since I had asked him. When he opened the door, I tried not to blatantly stare at him as my mouth filled with venom. He looked absolutely stunning. Well fit dark jeans with a red shirt that had left just enough to the imagination, and I imagined a lot.

The monster in my chest was urging me to grab hold and pull him to me so I could inhale his scent deeply. I wanted to drown in him. However, I had to hold back. Not only was his family right there, I had promised myself and Carlisle that I would do whatever I had to do to maintain control.

"Hey," I greeted him softly. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," he smiled, and walked out, closing the door behind him. Just as he had reached out and entwined our fingers together, the door opened again and Edward's father sauntered out. I stopped and turned to face him.

"Hello, sir. I'm Jasper Cullen."

"I know," Mr. Masen said with a smile. "Before you left with my son, I wanted to meet you properly."

Luckily, Edward was holding my right hand, and I stuck my left out for Mr. Masen to shake. The handshake was brief but firm and, just as I suspected, his gaze lingered on my hand.

"You're cold," he commented.

"Yes, sir. Poor circulation."

Mr. Masen nodded. "Well, it's good to meet you, Jasper, and since it seems you are dating my son, I hope to see you around here more often."

"Of course." I assured him, and he turned to look at Edward.

"Midnight, son," he said.

"Okay. Thanks, Dad. See ya."

Mr. Masen turned to go back into the house and I led Edward to my car. Once we were inside and buckled in, I started the engine and drove off. Edward turned in his seat to face me.

"So, where are you taking me?" His face was lit up with excitement.

"You'll see when we get there," I answered with a smirk and he stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. He really shouldn't do that. It only intensified my want for him. "It won't take long to get there."

Our drive to the restaurant I'd chosen was short, but filled with light conversation. As I drove into the parking lot, Edward gave me a funny look.

"Jasper?"

"Yes, babe?" I glanced over at him and he was frowning, looking adorably confused.

"You don't eat, and we're at a restaurant," he said slowly.

"I know. I may not need food, but you do, and I am content to talk while you eat,"

The furrow between my mate's eyes dissolved as he grinned over at me.

"Thank you, Jasper," he murmured, then completely surprised me by leaning over and kissing my cheek. He had no idea what even the smallest gestures did to me.

"You're welcome," I answered. "Come on."

We got out of the car and I took the initiative to hold Edward's hand as we walked in. It was Port Angeles' best place, or so I'd heard, called Mancini's. From the outside, it didn't look like much, but when I opened the door for Edward, we were both surprised at the interior. It was red and gold themed, with plush chairs surrounding small tables. The lighting was dim and gave the room a glow, like it had been lit by hundreds of candles. As Edward and I walked up to check in, the woman standing behind the podium smiled widely.

"Good evening, gentlemen," she greeted us in a kind voice. "Name?"

"Cullen," I offered, and she ran her finger down the list of names.

"Oh, yes. Here you are. Please follow me."

Edward looked all around the place as we followed the woman toward the back of the restaurant. When I called and made the reservation, I'd requested a private table so we could mostly be away from the other diners.

Our table was situated in the back corner so we could survey the entire place, and all of the tables around us had cards on them that said "Reserved". It was perfect. As the woman walked away, I pulled a chair out for Edward and he sat down with a small blush creeping up his cheeks. Beautiful.

I sat down to the left of Edward, directly against the back wall. The menus were on the table already, and I gestured for Edward to look through his. We didn't even have time to start a conversation before a waiter in a nice black suit walked up to our table.

"Good evening, gentlemen," he said in a deep, smooth voice. "I am Matt and I will be your waiter this evening. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Coke for me, thanks," my mate said with a gorgeous smile.

"Just water, please," I answered the waiter, and with a curt nod, he walked away.

Edward had the menu open, reading the choices, and I watched as the light played in his bronze hair, shadows making it look brown in places and highlights of red in others. I wanted to feel its softness between my fingers once again._ Later, _I scolded myself.

"Do you see anything you like?" I asked quietly, and Edward glanced up at me, worrying his bottom lip with the very tips of his teeth. _Jesus._

"I...really don't know," he said quietly, the small blush returning. Every time he blushed, his scent hit me a little harder as blood rushed faster through his veins. It made him smell even more delicious than he already did.

"Would you like for me to look with you?"

"Yeah," he answered softly, and I leaned in close. Unable to help myself, I inhaled deeply. He chuckled and moved close enough for the side of his head to barely touch my nose. _Christ_, he was trying to kill me. What a fucking sweet death that would be.

Under the table, Edward's hand found mine and he threaded our fingers together. So that was it. He wanted to be close. That I could do. Sliding my chair a bit closer, I got comfortable and Edward gave me a small smile as he continued to peruse the menu.

I continued to breathe him in as he read. My mind wasn't anywhere close to the items he was looking over. All I could think of was how fucking good my mate smelled, and how happy I was to be here, alone with him again.

Matt, our waiter, returned and set our drinks in front of us.

"Have you decided on entrées yet?" he asked politely, and Edward closed the menu.

"I would like the chicken alfredo, please," he answered the waiter, who nodded then turned his gaze to me.

"And for you, Sir?"

"Oh, we plan to share," Edward replied before I had a chance to say anything. My smart boy.

"Very good," Matt said, and took our menus. "It will be out shortly."

"Thank you," I told him, and he once again left us alone.

I watched Edward take a sip of his soda, then said, "I want to apologize, in person, for what happened the other day, in my room."

My mate squeezed my hand gently. "Jasper, you don't have to apologize to me. It was my fault. If I hadn't...been so aggressive. I was curious is all."

"I know," I replied earnestly. "Believe me, I wanted everything you did, and more. You have no idea how much you affect me."

My mate glanced down briefly, a small smile on his lips, then looked back at me.

"Was Carlisle mad?"

"Not really mad," I answered with a chuckle. "I did get another lesson on control, though, along with a lecture about the dangers. I am more lethal than you realize, Edward."

He propped his head in his hand and stared into my eyes. His looked dark in the low light, and I had to concentrate on what I was saying.

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"You see this table?"

He nodded.

"I can grip the edge, break off a piece, and squeeze it with my hand until all that remains is powder."

My mate's eyes widened. "Are you kidding?"

"No. I can do the same with rock, concrete, anything like that."

"What else?" Edward asked, clearly spellbound. This wasn't what I had planned by telling him all this. I thought he would be frightened, knowing that with one hand, I could cause so much damage. I decided to go for broke.

"I have killed people," I told him quietly. "I have ran up, undetected, behind someone mugging a woman, put my hand around his neck, and broke it with a single twist. Sometimes, I am not safe."

My mate looked unaffected. "I don't care. I know you won't hurt me."

"I might," I challenged. "I am a monster inside. When we are together, I have to keep control of it so I don't give in to my...urges."

Edward moved closer. "You're not a monster, Jasper. I know you're not. You have been nothing but kind and caring with me. I trust you."

He touched his lips to mine briefly, once, then sat back in his chair. I closed my eyes, relishing in the feel of his sweet lips, determined to keep control.

The sudden strong smell of food caused me to open my eyes, and I saw that our waiter was back with Edward's meal. It didn't smell appetizing to me, but Edward leaned over the plate and inhaled deeply.

"This smells very good," he told the waiter. "Thank you."

"Enjoy, gentlemen," Matt said, and moved over towards other customers.

Edward and I made small talk while he ate. He had obviously stated his point about his thoughts of me, and refused to let me argue. I would leave it until another time.

When my mate had eaten his fill, I paid the check and made sure to leave a nice tip. We then made our way back out of the restaurant and to the car. As I drove to the park that was nearby, Edward held his hands in front of the heater to warm them. It saddened me that I couldn't do that for him.

"Thank you for dinner, Jasper," my mate said quietly.

"You're very welcome, babe," I answered.

"I...want to take you out on a date, too," he commented, and a feeling of adoration filled my chest at the thought. His brow furrowed for a moment, then he continued, "It will have to be overcast, though."

Surprised, I asked, "A date in the daylight?"

Edward's face filled with the blood that addled my senses every time the scent became stronger. "Yes," he answered. "There's something I want to show you."

Well, he certainly had my interest piqued. "I accept."

My mate's smile was brilliant and I turned into the parking lot of the park. After turning off the engine and getting out, Edward pulled his coat tighter around himself then looped his arm through mine as we started to walk down the nearest path.

There were only a few people out and about, due to the chill of the night, but it didn't seem to bother Edward any. He was telling me about how Bella was jealous that we were together, and judging by his eye-rolling and chuckling, he was both annoyed and amused.

Watching Edward talk and gesture with his hands, as if I were any other human, baffled me. How could he be so carefree with me, when I had to have such a tight rein on myself? It was as if he knew what I was, but chose to ignore it and be himself. How I wished I could be like him.

The clouds shifted, allowing the moon to shine over the park. My mate looked illuminated in the silvery light, which only added to his perfect beauty. I was mesmerized by him, unable to tear my eyes away even for a second.

Before too long, I noticed Edward shivering and suggested we go back to the car. On the way back to his house, I purposely drove slower than I normally would because I didn't want the night to end. In order to try to get rid of the melancholy mood, I offered to answer more questions for Edward. Like I suspected, he thought it was a great idea.

"You don't drink anything but animals, right?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Correct."

"Well, don't you ever want to drink from humans?"

"Every day," I replied quietly. "The thirst is like a burning in the back of my throat. Animal blood fills me and quenches the fire, but not quite as thoroughly as human blood, and it definitely isn't as satisfying."

"Wow," my other half muttered, surprised. He had that fascinated look about him again, and it caused me to chuckle.

"I want to ask something kinda...serious," Edward stated quietly, like he was afraid I would be angry at him.

"Go on," I told him, concerned.

"Um...what's it like to be...you know...turned?"

I knew this question would come, but certainly didn't expect it so soon. He wouldn't like the answer, I was sure, but honesty was best.

"When I bite you, my venom will enter your bloodstream and travel throughout your body. It will burn immensely and you'll feel like your veins are on fire. This will last for three full days until, finally, all of the venom will collect in your heart and it will stop beating. Then you will wake up."

While I explained, his eyes widened for a moment and he lowered his head. Only when I was finished did he raise it to stare at me.

"What will I look like?" He whispered.

"Like me and my family: hard, cold, and pale skin, but flawless. You will have speed, strength, and enhanced senses. The only difference will be your eyes."

"My eyes? What's gonna happen to them?"

"They will be red because your blood will be in the tissues of your body still, and human blood causes our eyes to be red. The newborn phase lasts roughly six months and, if you can refrain from ingesting human blood during that time, your eyes will change to amber, like mine."

Edward wrinkled his brow. "I couldn't drink human blood. That is just gross, Jasper."

His reaction caused me to smile. "You say that now, but wait. I haven't told you about the bloodlust yet."

"Bloodlust? Fucking hell," he said quietly, and I thought it best to change the subject for the time being.

"I will explain that to you later, babe. You're still far from being changed yet."

Slowly, my mate nodded. He looked thoughtful, and the selfish part of me, my monster, was praying I hadn't said too much and changed his mind.

It wasn't long until I pulled into the driveway of Edward's house, and he surprised me by reaching over and turning the key, effectively shutting off the engine. When I glanced at him, he smiled gently.

"I just thought we could...you know...cuddle and talk or something..." he said shyly and, unable to resist him, I held my arm out to draw him closer.

Edward settled himself against my side, his warmth searing me even through the jacket he was wearing. Leaning my head down, I breathed in his scent and exhaled a soft hum. He started tracing the back of my hand with his fingertips, then slowly moved it to my jaw.

"Is this okay?" he asked, and I nodded.

He continued to stroke my jaw and cheekbone while we sat in silence. His heart rate accelerated a little bit, and I knew he must have been enjoying himself.

After a few minutes, his soft voice interrupted the solitude. "Jasper?"

I turned my head to acknowledge him. "Yes?"

"Do you think it would be...safe...to kiss you?"

_Jesus_. I closed my eyes for a moment, once again cursing myself for my loss of control, then opened them to stare into his innocent face.

"Yes. I'm in control right now."

The smile that lit up my mate's face was blindingly beautiful. He lifted his head up towards mine, and it faded as I lowered my mouth to his. As our lips touched, Edward emitted a contented sigh, and I mentally swore that I would _not_ try to bite him again.

Our mouths moved together in harmony as they met and retreated, over and over. The only sounds in the car were of our kissing, Edward's escalated breathing, and soft sighs of contentment. It was amazing.

My mate then surprised me by licking my bottom lip, asking me if we could deepen our kisses. Without hesitation, I cupped his face in both hands and slid my tongue into his mouth. Jesus Christ, he felt like heaven, warm and so fucking soft.

Edward did the same to me, and I felt as well as heard his whimper. As our tongues played and stroked each other, I made sure not to become too consumed in what we were doing. I _had_ to keep control.

The deep kiss we were sharing was eventually broken by Edward, who sat back in his seat, panting a bit. He was out of breath, and it gave me a sense of pride knowing it was because of me. My vampire eyes could see the blush staining his cheeks. He looked delectable.

"Thank you," he murmured, and I reached over to stroke his warm cheek.

"No. Thank _you_, babe," I answered, just as quietly.

"I had a great time, Jasper. Text me when you get home, okay?"

"I will. Goodnight, Edward."

"Night, Jasper."

He got out of the car and I watched him until he was safely inside. I then started the car and drove home at a leisurely pace, letting my mind wander to the incredible date we had. I was rather proud of myself for maintaining my control when kissing him, even though I wanted so much more.

Smiling to myself, I wondered what he had in store for me on the date he was planning.

**Hope y'all liked it!**

**Penny**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Hey y'all. I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it. I meant to say in Ch. 8 AN that this is the first fic in a 4 fic series. I am really excited about it :)**

**Thank you to my prereader DelphiusFanfic and my beta Corey. They are awesome. Layne Faire will be back soon as my second beta.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Enjoy!**

**EPOV**

For a long time after Jasper dropped me off, I'd lain awake in my bed, thinking of just how perfect and thoughtful he was. He had taken to calling me babe, and every time I heard him say it, excitement raced through me. I wondered if he would like a pet name as well. I had never thought about it. Maybe I would surprise him.

As I drifted off to sleep that night, it was to the memories of Jasper and I's first date, and I'm sure I had a huge smile on my face. He was so nice and caring, not to mention gorgeous. I was falling for him hard and fast.

The next day, Saturday, I was helping Dad clean up the garage and, after a bit of small talk, he had brought up Jasper.

"You really like him, don't you, son?" he asked, not looking up from hanging his tools on the corkboard that hung on the side wall.

I stopped sorting nuts and bolts and glanced over at him. "Yeah, I do," I answered quietly. "Is it obvious?"

Dad chuckled. "It is. When you came home last night, your cheeks were flushed and you seemed happy." He paused for a moment. "It looks good on you, Edward."

I could feel my cheeks heating up in a blush. "Thanks," I mumbled.

"Your mom may not have said anything, but she's noticed too," he continued.

"She has?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. She feels the same as I do. When we moved here, we wanted the transition to be easy on you and your sister. You both are doing well, and it makes your mom and I glad."

Silently, I nodded. I loved my dad for his acceptance of my sexuality. Also, for the fact that he was comfortable talking to me about it. Yeah, it was awkward at times, but I was still grateful. Some teenagers didn't have the kind of support I had.

We continued to work in silence and when Dad said we were done, I went to my room to text Jasper. I hadn't heard from him all day.

**Jasper- Hope you're having a good day. Thanks again for the date. -Edward**

Faster than I could have replied, my phone buzzed.

**Edward- Fantastic day, and you're welcome...again. -Jasper**

Smiling, I shoved my phone back into the pocket of my jeans. I wondered what had made his day so good.

The rest of the day was spent in front of the TV, watching movies and hanging with the family. Bella was being her irritating self, whining at the movie choices, but I was so content I didn't even bother teasing her.

Sunday was dark and rainy, so I spent most of the day reading and playing around on the Internet. Not long before dinner, Mom called me to the living room, and told me I had guests. That was weird.

As I walked down the stairs, I heard the unmistakable voices of Jasper and Esme. What the hell?

Once I was in the foyer, Esme pulled me into a hug.

"Good to see you again, Edward. Jasper and I came by to deliver this homemade rhubarb and strawberry pie. I wanted to meet your parents."

"That is very kind of you," my mom said, ushering them into the living room. Bella, who was sitting on the floor watching TV, stood up and combed her hair with her fingers, surprised that we had company. I turned to Jasper and rolled my eyes. He grinned and winked at me.

"Edward? Please take this to the kitchen," Mom said and handed me the dessert. I motioned for Jasper to follow and we went into the kitchen. After putting the dish on the counter, I pulled Jasper in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around me and I reveled in being able to be close to him again.

"Don't mind me, boys," Dad said from nearby, effectively scaring the shit out of me. I let Jasper go and jammed my hands into my jeans pockets, feeling my face heat up.

Laughing, Dad beckoned us over where he was standing at the stove, stirring a pot. "Come here, boys, and I'll show you some _real_ spaghetti sauce."

Jasper and I walked over and Dad lifted a spoonful of the sauce up.

"Smell that. No one can make it like I do."

Leaning over, I smelled the steam coming off of the spoon, and it made my mouth water. Damn, I was hungry. When I leaned back up, Jasper took a sniff and I could see the muscles clench in his jaw. I bet it smelled awful to him. Secretly, I wondered if he was nauseous, or if he pretended it was blood. It looked kinda like blood.

Holding back my laughter, I pulled on Jasper's arm.

"Smells great, Dad," I said quickly. "Come up and see my room, Jasper."

As we left the kitchen, Dad yelled, "Keep the door open!"

Oh my God. I wanted to disappear right then.

Jasper followed me up the stairs. As we passed the living room, we could hear Esme and my mom talking. It sounded like they were getting along okay. When we reached my door, I pushed it open and hoped Jasper wouldn't care about the mess.

We went in, and left the door open as my dad requested. Jasper's eyes swept the room once, then I was being pulled back into his arms. Without wasting time, I pressed my lips to his and he returned my gentle kiss.

I leaned in for more and heard another voice clearing in the doorway. This time, it was female.

"Edward. Sorry to interrupt, but can I borrow one of your CDs?" Bella asked sweetly and Jasper let me go. Shit. What the fuck was she playing at?

"Which one?" I sighed, and had to contain my laughter at how she was trying to lean seductively against my door frame.

"Disturbed, please," she said, and almost fell over. Jasper turned his back to her in the pretense of looking around my room, but I could see he was trying to hide his laughter.

I walked over to my desk and got the CD she wanted, then gave it to her. "Here you go, Bells. Thank you for stopping by. See you later."

She made an effort to look hurt and stomped into her room. As soon as her door slammed closed, I doubled over in laughter and I felt Jasper's cold hand on my back. He was laughing softly, and it sounded amazing.

"Boys," Dad called up the stairs, "it's time to come down now."

Sobering up, I straightened myself and grinned at Jasper. He initiated one more kiss and it didn't last near as long as I would have liked. We went downstairs and met the rest of the adults in the foyer again.

"Thank you again for the pie, Esme," my mom said. "It was so nice to meet you."

"And you, Elizabeth," Esme returned. "I do hope you all will come for Sunday brunch next weekend."

Sunday brunch? I glanced over at Jasper, wondering what the hell all that was about, but he just shrugged. Maybe he would find out and tell me later.

"We'll be there, Esme," Mom assured her and, after a brief hug from both Jasper and his mom, they left.

**/\o0O0o/\**

School was abuzz the next day. There was another new student. Bella and I arriving was rare in and of itself, but to have him arrive all of a sudden? Unheard of. His name, I found out, was Jacob Black, and he was from the Quileute Reservation on First Beach. He was a Junior, like the rest of us, and girls were over the moon about him. Personally, I didn't see the attraction.

What I did notice, however, was how strange Jasper was acting. He wasn't in his usual good mood. His shoulders were tense and every time he saw Jacob, he frowned and glared at him.

During lunch, I couldn't take the attitude anymore.

"Jasper, what has you so weirded out about the new kid?" I asked quietly, so no one else around us would hear.

"Nothing," he answered nonchalantly, and gave me a bad impression of a smile.

"I don't believe that for a minute," I replied, but before I could get another word in, he tensed more than he had before.

"What is it? Why do all of you look so weird all of a sudden?"

I followed their line of sight and saw Jacob as he grinned like hell at, and almost drooled over, my sister. She was eating it up, too, twirling her hair around her finger and giving him her biggest smile. What the hell?

Glancing back at Jasper and his siblings, I saw Emmett whisper something and Rosalie put her hand over her eyes in exasperation. She then got up and left the cafeteria, with Em right behind her.

"What the hell is going on, Jasper?" I demanded.

"Nothing, babe," he replied. "Just finish eating."

"I am done," I stated and pushed my tray away. Alice took it and hurried to take up to the counter. When she got back, we followed her outside. Emmett and Rosalie were over by the gym, and we walked over to them, Jasper practically pulling me along by the hand.

"One of you guys want to tell me what the hell is going on?" I demanded again, and Emmett gave me a kind glance.

"Nothing to worry your pretty head about, bro. That Jacob's bad news is all," he commented.

"Okay, so he's bad news. In that case, don't you think I should go back in there to protect Bella? Wait. You know him? What kind of bad news?" Shit, they were confusing me.

"It's alright for now," Jasper told me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry."

I wasn't buying it. "What about Bella? Are we going to just leave her in there with him?"

"She's fine," Alice said. "They're just talking and eating."

"I just don't understand," I sighed.

"Typical," Rosalie sneered. "Jesus, Jasper, you sure know how to pick them."

Jasper startled me by pushing me behind him as he growled at Rosalie. She growled back and acted like she was going to step toward him, but Emmett grabbed the top of her arms.

"Come on, guys. You can't do this here. Listen. Me and Rose will leave and go see Carlisle. Alice, you stay here and keep watch over Edward and Jasper."

"I don't need watching," Jasper hissed. "As long as that..._mongrel._..stays away from my mate, I'm fine."

"He won't come near me, Jasper," I tried to assure him and laid my hand on his forearm. He looked down at it then at me, and relaxed some. Trying to make him feel better, I put my arms around his waist and nuzzled my face into his back. He pulled me around and held me close to him, burying his face against my neck. The bell rang and I carefully pulled away.

"Come on, love, let's go to Biology," I told Jasper softly, and, without taking his eyes off of my face, he nodded.

Rosalie and Emmett left, and the three of us went back into the school. I didn't know exactly what was going on, but Jasper's odd actions were a bit worrying. When I hugged him, it seemed to calm him down, so I would stay right next to him for the rest of the day if I had to, just to make him feel better. However, I would be demanding an explanation later.

After school, Jasper urged me to hurry at my locker so we could leave. Instead of taking me home, he drove us to the Cullens', where he promised everything would be explained. I was nervous and a little bit scared.

It only got worse when Jasper and I went into the house, and everyone was sitting in the living room in what seemed to be a deep discussion. Jasper led me to the sofa and I sat on the very edge. It felt like I was in trouble or something.

"Edward," Carlisle smiled, trying to break the tension in the room. "Good to see you again."

I cleared my throat. It sounded loud in the quiet room. "Thank you, sir. You too."

"You know about the new student in school, yes?"

"Yes, sir. I only saw him a couple of times, though, and didn't talk to him at all."

Carlisle chuckled. "Edward, calm down. You're not in trouble, son. The reason all of us are on edge about the new boy is because he is a threat to our kind."

"Meaning vampires?" I asked, and he nodded.

"How?"

"Jacob Black is a direct descendant from Ephraim Black, who was a shapeshifter. The Quileute tribe have special genes that allow them to shift into wolves when there are vampires around."

Wait. What the fuck is he talking about? Is he telling me that not only are there vampires, which I see for myself, but werewolves too? Holy shit.

"Why?" was the only thing I could think of to say.

"To kill us," Rosalie supplied with a frown.

"Look. I'm sorry for sounding like a dumb human, but you're telling me that Jacob Black will shift into a wolf so he can kill you guys?"

"Not exactly," Esme supplied, and it only made me even more confused.

"What do you mean?"

"We have a treaty with the Quileutes," Carlisle told me. "As long as we don't feed off of people, or bite a human to change him or her, we can co-exist peacefully."

"But Jasper said..."

"I know what Jasper told you," Carlisle continued. "Because you are Jasper's mate, they have to allow your turning."

"But what if they don't?" I asked, glancing nervously at Jasper. He took my hand and rubbed his thumb over my knuckles in an attempt to soothe me. It didn't work.

"Then we will have to fight them," Emmett said almost in a whisper.

"That," Carlisle said, glaring at Emmett, "is something we don't have to worry about right away. At the moment, there is a different problem, involving you and Jasper."

"What is it?" I sighed, not wanting to hear whatever it was. It seemed that all Jasper and I had were problems.

"Jacob has imprinted on Bella," Alice said quietly.

"He did what on Bella?" I frowned, then, exasperated, huffed out, "what the hell are you talking about?"

"Edward," Jasper said softly, and I focused on his beautiful face. "Vampires mate and the wolves imprint. Understand now?"

Yes, I did. Everything was suddenly crystal clear. Bella was Jacob's mate. There was one thing I was still confused over.

"I understand now, but how does that give us problems?"

Jasper took both of my fidgeting hands in his. "Jacob will be over at your house in all of his spare time, to see and court Bella. I, as your mate, am not comfortable with that. He will be too close, and I won't be there..."

Getting what he was trying to say, I smiled and pushed his hair behind his ear. "You don't have anything to worry about, love."

"I know, but..."

"I know, Jasper," I told him. "We'll figure it out."

Leaning in, I gave him a soft kiss and he pulled me into his chest for the second time today. Even though he was hard and cold, he was comfortable. I sighed, then suddenly remembered the room was full of people. When I tried to pull back, Jasper held me still.

"They left," he murmured into my hair.

Of course, I was still worried about Jacob and Bella, and what might happen in the near future, but sitting in Jasper's arms helped me to forget, if only for the time being. Then, something came to me.

"Jasper?" I asked, looking up at him. "What if Jacob is at the house when I get home?"

A low rumble sounded from my boyfriend's chest and his amber eyes stared into mine. "I want you to stay as far away from him as you can, Edward. I don't want him in the same room as you...especially your bedroom."

Horrified, I said, "Oh hell no. He's not coming in my room for _anything_. I imagine I'll have to meet him, though, but once that's over, I'm keeping my distance."

Jasper surprised me by taking my face in his hands. "You do realize how serious this is, don't you? If his scent is on you at any time, even by just shaking his hand, it will make me crazy. I'll want to claim you even more than I already do."

By the tone in his voice and the way his eyes darkened at the thought of what he was saying, I knew he was dead serious.

Swallowing hard, I nodded. "I won't touch him."

He pulled me back against his chest and I held him tightly, trying to let him know with my actions that I didn't want him to be uncomfortable. In a way, it felt like he thought I would purposely go near Jacob just to spite him. I would never do that to Jasper. He was already creeping his way into my heart.

When he took me home later that evening, he was quiet and subdued. I felt bad that he was so worried about Jacob, because there really was no need to worry. Luckily, Bella's new 'interest' wasn't there when we arrived, and Jasper sighed in relief. Before he left, I tried again to reassure him that everything was going to be okay, but he still seemed wary.

So, after a lingering kiss, I got out of his car and went into the house.

**Hope y'all liked it!**

**Penny **


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Hey y'all! The reviews for last chap blew me away...thank you so much! I hope y'all enjoy this chapter as well :) Things will be heating up from here on in ;)**

**Thank you to DelphiusFanfic, my prereader, and Corey, my beta. They are excellent. Layne Faire will be back soon.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**This chap starts at the beginning of November.**

**JPOV**

The first thing I noticed when I pulled into Edward's driveway was that his parents' car was gone. The next thing was that Jacob was there...again. This was the last straw. For the past month, Jacob had been spending an increasing amount of time at the Masen's, and it was irritating me. I got out of the car, strode to the front door, and knocked. Usually, Edward opened the door right away, but not this time.

All sorts of scenarios played in my head. Jacob was here. Was he hurting my mate in some way? Taunting him? Or even worse, was he trying to make his mark on him in order to piss me off?

With anger building in my chest, I walked quickly around to the back of the house, and saw the wolf and Edward bending over, looking at a plant near the tree line at the back of the lawn. Now that I was out of sight of prying eyes, I used my vampire speed to approach them. Edward smiled at me and I pulled him upright and into my side. As was the norm over the past month, he smelled like dog. It infuriated me to no end that, every time I tried to get close to my mate, his pure scent was tainted by Jacob's stench.

Wrinkling my nose, I let out a low growl and asked, "Why are _you_ here?"

"To see Bella, why else?" he smirked and stood, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why can't she go over to yours? Honestly, I'm tired of my mate smelling like a _dog_," I snarked back.

"You know," Jacob said, walking up to me, "your stench isn't very attractive on _my imprint."_

With the shifter so close, I let go of Edward and guided him to stand slightly behind me. Jacob stared into my eyes for a moment, then walked around me, to Edward, and propped his arm on my mate's shoulder.

White hot rage burned throughout my body at the sight of that thing touching my Edward, and I didn't even hear what Jacob was telling him as I lunged, my speed and strength knocking him just inside the forest.

"Never! Touch! My! Mate!" I growled and snapped my teeth.

Jacob flipped me over, and the small branches I landed on crumbled beneath me. "Like I would want to, bloodsucker! Believe me, he has nothing I want!"

Growling ferociously, I kicked Jacob off of me and he crashed into a nearby tree. Before he could fully recover, I was crouched in a fighting stance, circling him and the tree, hissing expletives.

"Go ahead," I taunted. "Make your move, _dog_," I spat, trying to encourage him to jump at me.

"You're not fucking worth phasing over," he said, and turned around, running back out into the yard.

I followed, and saw that Edward looked terrified. Slowly, I approached him and reached out to touch his face. "Edward? Babe? Are you alright?"

My mate snapped out of his stupor and took my hand. He flinched as Jacob took off, his tires squealing on the blacktop. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answered quietly.

"I know I frightened you. I didn't mean to. That...thing...has no right touching you. You know how protective I am."

"Uh huh," Edward commented. When I finished speaking, I looked into his eyes and the sight that beheld me took my breath away. Edward was standing there, face flushed, with dilated pupils and a rather impressive bulge in the front of his jeans. My mouth pooled with venom. Fuck, he was sexy.

"Edward?" I asked, and he took my face in his hands, kissing me soundly. Holy shit.

He only pulled away from the kiss to take in air, and he surprised me by grabbing my wrist in a tight hold.

"Come with me," he demanded, and pulled me into the forest.

I enjoyed the view of his lush ass as he led me through the trees. Clearly, he had a destination in mind. After only a few minutes, there was a break in the trees and Edward walked us into the opening. I couldn't believe my eyes at the sight before me.

We were standing in a perfectly round meadow. The grass wasn't very visible, with all the leaves scattered on it, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

My mate urged me to walk to the center of the clearing, where he then pulled me to sit down in front of him.

"I found this place right before our first date," he said softly. His eyes were still burning with desire and I had to restrain myself from touching him. "This is where I wanted to bring you before, but we haven't had the chance. Now is the perfect time."

With slow, but deliberate movements, Edward pushed me back to lay on the crunchy leaves. He loomed above me, smirking, and leaned down to kiss me. He tasted incredible and, in a matter of seconds, I was oblivious to anything but his taste. Nothing else existed when we were close like this.

My mate rested his entire weight on my body, and his warmth set my senses ablaze. When Edward broke the kiss to breathe, I asked, "What-"

He moved his mouth to my neck, just under my ear, and started nibbling, effectively cutting off my words and making me shiver beneath him. "Shut up," he murmured, and kissed his way to my throat. I leaned my head back and a low growl I didn't even know was coming rumbled from me. He moaned against the hollow of my throat and raised his head. His eyes, usually such a brilliant green, were so dark. I could both hear and feel his heart pounding.

"Don't say anything, Jasper," he breathed. "Just lay back and enjoy this."

Edward then moved off of me and laid next to me in the leaves. His hands went to my jeans and started to unfasten them. I raised up on my elbows, watching as he fumbled with the zipper. He was clearly nervous, but determined as he finally opened my pants and slipped his hand inside. Shock and excitement raced through me, knowing my mate wanted to touch me so intimately. It filled me with pride and love.

When his hand came in contact with my cloth covered erection, my head fell back onto the ground as a sharp hiss escaped my throat. "Fuck!"

His hand was so fucking hot, I wanted him to keep it there for eternity, warming me from the inside out. Pleasure was running rampant through my whole body, and if my heart could beat, it would be frantic.

"Edward," I hissed, arching my back.

I heard a satisfied chuckle, then my senses completely left me as my other half opened my boxers and brought out my straining cock. He wrapped his hand around it, and I could've sworn his fingerprints were being burned into my skin. Involuntarily, my hips jerked at the contact.

"Holy fuck!" I gasped, and Edward stroked me once. His eyes were trained on my throbbing erection, and he licked his lips, eliciting a loud growl from me that turned into a long moan. I couldn't believe Edward was finally touching me like this. It was a daydream I'd had many times, when I'd touched myself, but nothing, and I mean_ nothing_, compared to my mate's hand stroking me so lovingly. I wanted to focus on his face, his expressions, and his slender fingers around my length, but I was so caught up in the exquisite sensations, I couldn't.

"Am...I doing...alright?" Edward asked quietly, and I fell back onto the leaves and pushed my cock up into his movements. Fuck, hearing his timid voice asking me if he was satisfying me, knowing he was trying to please me, that he _wanted_ to touch me like he was, was almost more than I could take.

My unnecessary breaths were coming out in sharp pants, growls, and groans, and I dug my hands into the ground, making long furrows with my fingers, so I wouldn't grab Edward and have my way with him. I refused to hurt my mate, so the earth under my hands would suffer.

Edward took my reactions as a good sign, and he sped up his hand, adding more pressure. Fuck, I wasn't going to last much longer. Ecstasy like I had never felt before was pooling in my gut, threatening to explode at any moment.

"Jasper, you are so fucking beautiful like this," Edward whispered and, without missing a stroke, he used his other hand to lift my shirt and leaned to kiss me right below my navel. The feel of his hot, damp lips on my skin, so close to where he was giving me divine pleasure, was what broke me, and I tumbled over the edge of bliss, crying out his name and gripping the earth between my fingers as a feral growl ripped its way from my chest.

I writhed against my mate as I came, panting hard and fast, emitting whines and whimpers. It was so intense, like nothing I'd ever felt before.

When I was finally spent, I came back to my senses to find Edward wiping me off with the outer shirt he was wearing, smiling like the cat who got the canary. I waited until he had my sensitive cock put back into my boxers and my pants fastened again before pulling him into my arms and burying my face in his neck.

"Edward, my mate, my love, thank you," I whispered into his neck and kissed his sweet skin once before letting him go. We both sat up and he tucked my hair behind my ear. It was a gesture I had come to adore from him.

I wanted to return the favor and have him feel as incredible as he made me feel, but I was afraid. Touching him so intimately would be a hard test on my control, and I wasn't quite ready to risk it.

If only he was changed already. Then we could do anything our hearts desired. It was wrong for me to want to take his life so soon, but I couldn't help it, and it made me feel guilty.

"There's nothing to thank me for, Jasper," he told me softly, interrupting my thoughts. "I wanted to do that for you." He paused for a moment, then laughed lightly. "You were sexy as hell fighting with Jacob...for me."

"I would kill for you," I whispered. "You know that."

"I do," my mate nodded.

We were quiet for a moment, basking in the closeness of each other, then Edward jumped at the sound of Bella's voice yelling his name from the backyard.

"Shit," he said, and stood. "Come on. She won't stop yelling until I see what she wants."

I followed my mate out of the clearing, back through the woods, and into the backyard. Bella was standing a few feet away with her hands on her hips, and she looked pissed.

"What is it, Bella?" Edward asked with an annoyed sigh.

"Why did your boyfriend run my boyfriend off?" She demanded.

"Because you weren't here and me and Jasper wanted time alone," he retorted. "Something wrong with that?"

"Yeah! It was rude!"

"Damn, Bella! Jacob is here almost every day! Anytime I want to spend time with Jasper, I have to go over there, and that's not right!"

"Why can't they both be here together?"

"Because you know as well as I do that they don't get along, Bella."

"Then I suggest they learn to!" She yelled and stomped back off up to the house.

Edward and I watched her until she went inside, then I turned to him. "I should go now, babe."

He let out a long, heavy sigh. "I guess. It's probably time for dinner anyway. See you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely," I answered and pulled him in for a slow kiss. "Night."

"Night," he said, and I went in the direction of my car while he went into the back door of the house. I hated leaving him, especially after the argument he just had. There was no doubt they would argue more.

As I drove home, I thought about the situation. I knew as soon as Jacob had imprinted on my mate's sister, there would be problems. There was going to have to be some way to work it out, because neither Jacob nor I could help who our mates were. That made me wonder if, so long ago, when Alice told me my mate was in Forks, if she also knew this was going to happen.

After parking in the garage at home, I walked around the house to find Emmett standing on the porch with a smug look on his face.

"What?" I asked, and he grinned.

"Someone got some lovin'," he teased, and I shook my head.

"I'm going to kill Alice," I growled, and went into the house. Emmett's loud laughter rang out behind me.

Bolting up the stairs, I knocked on Alice's bedroom door. She opened it and gazed at me with an innocent expression.

"Don't give me that look," I told her.

"I'm sorry, Jasper," she replied. "It just slipped out."

"Yeah, right. You were probably bouncing up and down with excitement."

"She was," Rosalie's voice came from her and Emmett's room down the hall. "It was sickening."

I glared at Alice and she shrugged at me.

"I'm sorry, big brother. I'm just happy for you and Edward. That's all."

"Please, in the future, if you see something sexual between my mate and I, keep it to yourself?"

"Sure," she pouted. "But just so you know, the rest of the family is happy for you too."

"Except me," Rose chimed in. "It's disgusting."

"Alice, on a more serious note, I want to ask you if you have seen something else."

"Like what?"

"Edward and Bella got in an argument tonight because I ran Jacob off from his place. Have you seen any solution to the problem?"

"Not yet," she answered sadly. "But if I do, I'll make sure to tell you first."

"Thank you. I really do hope you see something that might help."

"So do I."

As I continued up to my room, I decided not to dwell on that particular aspect of my relationship with Edward. On the contrary, something I had never expected, but was utterly wonderful, happened. My mate touched me. Sexually. He told me he wanted to do it, and that fact alone filled me with pride.

It was one thing to experience it with a random hook up; there had been many of those in the past, usually ending with me feeding and the other person's death. It was quite another to actually feel the love in the touch from the one person who makes your world complete. I knew that mine and Edward's first trip to his meadow would forever be etched in my memory.

I wasn't in my room long when I heard my name being said from Alice's room.

"Jasper? Edward and Bella worked it out. They're fine now."

"Thank you," I replied, and smiled as I walked over to bed I had purchased for Edward a couple of weeks ago. It was a Queen size, dressed in the finest linens available, with a thick down comforter on top. The color scheme of the bedding was chosen by Alice, who insisted they have some form of green in them. She said I would appreciate it, and it wasn't until I showed Edward the bed and he laid in it, that I understood what she meant. The colors she had picked made my mate's brilliant eyes seem even more green, and I made sure to thank her immensely for her insight.

Picking up a pillow, I held it to my nose and breathed in the scent of my boyfriend. It would have to do until I could hold him in my arms again. That, however, gave me an idea. I wondered what Edward's parents would say if Emmett invited him over to stay the night, like a friend having a sleepover.

If they said yes, of course, he and I would have to be supervised, but the thought of being able to hold him while he slept was so alluring, I decided I wanted to try.

"Emmett?"

He appeared at my door seconds later. "'Sup?"

"Will you ask Edward's parents if he can stay the night with you?"

"I guess...why?" Then he smirked and bumped me on the shoulder. "Ooooh, my bro wants to get lucky!"

"Don't be an asshole, Emmett," I rolled my eyes. "You know we can't do that. I just think it would be nice to have him here for longer than a couple of hours every other day."

Em's expression softened. "I know what you mean, Jasper. I was just messing with you, and yes, I will ask them."

"Thank you."

"Welcome," he said as he turned and walked off.

The rest of my night was spent sitting on the bed, holding Edward's pillow, wishing it was him instead, and hoping like hell his parents would tell Emmett he could stay over.

**Hope y'all liked it! Till next time!**

**Penny**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Once again, I have Jasper for ya. :) I hope you like it.**

**Thank you to my prereader DelphiusFanfic, and beta Corey. They rock. A special thank you goes to SimplyMatt, for his expert help in this chapter. Again, Layne Faire will return soon.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**JPOV**

The next Thursday, I was sitting in American History, my last class of the day, when Emmett leaned over to me.

"They said yes," he whispered.

"They did?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes," he answered with a big grin. "You owe me a hunting trip to Alaska for bears."

"Done," I agreed readily. "When did you ask them?"

"Went over there last night after hunting."

"And?"

"His folks are really nice. They invited me in for dessert because they were just finishing dinner."

I chuckled lightly. "How did you get out of that?"

He shrugged. "I told them I couldn't or I'd break curfew."

"Smart."

We were silent for a moment and, even if I didn't know the lesson already, there was no way I could concentrate on it. My Edward would be sleeping over tomorrow night. There was so much to do - so much to plan. One thing I knew I wanted to do was make him a special dinner. Maybe Esme would help me.

"The dog was there, having dinner with them," Emmett said, cutting off my pleasant thoughts.

Anger and jealousy filled my chest. It was upsetting that I couldn't do that with Edward. Childishly, I thought, _It's not fair._

"I'm not surprised," I answered back. "That fucking mongrel spends more time with my mate than I do."

"Well, if it's any consolation, Edward told him to fuck off, right in front of his mom."

Shock hit me first, then my shoulders shook with silent laughter. I would be sure to thank Edward for that.

When class ended and I had gotten Edward in the car, I leaned over and kissed him. He grinned and blushed gorgeously.

"What was that for?" he asked curiously.

"Last night," I replied, turning out of the lot and onto the main road.

"Um...what did I do?"

Smiling, I asked, "Do the words 'fuck off' mean anything to you?"

"Oh...yeah," he said, and his grin grew until he was full on laughing. His cheeks were a dark pink.

Chuckling along with him, I asked, "What did he do?"

"Oh, he was talking to Mom about a creek on the reservation that he wants to take Bella to. He told Bella she had to stay out of the water, though, because of the leeches. He put emphasis on the word 'leeches'. I knew it was a jab at me, so I told him to fuck off," Edward shrugged.

Jacob was such a stupid boy.

"And your mother?"

"I don't think she heard it because she was lecturing Bella on safety."

"Fucking brilliant, babe," I said and reached over to skim the back of my hand across his cheek. He caught my hand in his and entwined our fingers.

As I turned onto the road Edward lived on, I asked, "Excited for tomorrow?"

"Oh my God, yes," my mate answered enthusiastically. "It will be great to be away from everything." He paused for a moment. "Are you?"

"You don't know how much," I said truthfully as I pulled into his driveway and stopped the car.

Turning to him, I took his face gently in my hands and kissed him, long and slow. When he pulled away to breathe, I buried my nose in the top of his hair.

"I won't be at school tomorrow," I whispered, and he raised his head to look at me.

"Why?"

"I owe Emmett a hunting trip to find bears," I laughed lightly.

He smirked, raising a brow. "Do I even want to know?"

"He did me a favor," I answered casually.

Edward leaned his forehead on my chest.

"I'm going to miss you tomorrow, love," he said quietly, and I combed my fingers through the back of his hair.

"As I will you, but we can text."

"We will," he sighed, and gazed back up at me. "I should go now."

"I know, babe," I said, and leaned in for a kiss.

We kissed for what felt like forever, but was really nowhere near long enough. Finally, with a small smile, he got out of the car and went into the house.

I drove home in a good mood, and once there, I sought out Esme. She was in her drawing room, painting.

"Esme, will you help me tomorrow?" I blurted, and she never batted an eyelash, just smiled.

"Of course I will. With what?"

"I want to make a special dinner for Edward," I said and her smile widened.

"Jasper, I would love to help!"

"Thank you. Did Emmett tell you about our trip?"

"He did, and I will tell you the same thing I told him. Please be safe."

"You know I will," I replied with a grin, and left her drawing room. Emmett met me in the living room. He slung his arm around my shoulders.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes," I answered, watching him. He was smiling widely and was almost bouncing up and down like Alice. I chuckled. "Excited?"

"Hell yeah!" He exclaimed. "Do you know how long it's been since I have sunk my teeth into a big, fat grizzly?"

"I know," I laughed. "A long time. Come on, let's get going."

The rest of the family followed us out onto the porch and hugged us, wishing us a safe journey. I politely looked away as Emmett kissed Rosalie goodbye. When everyone had said their farewells, Emmett punched me playfully in the arm and we took off.

I loved to run. It freed my mind, allowing me to leave behind anything that may have been bothering me. Honestly, I was excited about going to Alaska too. It was good to get away from the house. The only bad thing was that I was leaving my mate behind. I knew my family would protect him, but it wasn't the same as me being there.

Emmett's good mood was infectious, and before too long, I had engaged him in a race. We sped through the trees as fast as we could, trying to push each other back to gain the upper hand, grinning and laughing all the way.

Afternoon gave way to night and we kept on, never tiring. My muscles were enjoying the workout, making me more energized.

The moon had moved up to the middle of the sky when Emmett stopped me and put a finger to his lips. I stopped immediately because I smelled them too. Bears. A lot of them.

Emmett scaled a large tree nearby. I followed him and we looked down to see six bears scavenging a bunch of shrubs for food.

"Damn, that smells good," Emmett said with a happy grin.

I chuckled. "If you say so." I would eat bear, but my preference was for elk. There was nothing like biting into a big buck and letting the rich, tangy blood flow over my tongue. Just thinking about it made my mouth fill with venom.

"Ready?" Em whispered, and I nodded. He counted down from three on his fingers, and we jumped. The bears scattered and reared, threatening us with their massive claws, but we were faster. In a matter of seconds, Emmett and I had both taken down a large male each, and were drinking.

For me, bear blood was too thick and sort of grainy in my mouth. I ignored it though, and drained the animal dry. Before I was finished with my first, Em had taken down a second and was already drinking him.

When I was finally done with my first, I threw the body aside and went back up in the tree to wait. How Emmett could drink so much of that shit was beyond me.

I watched Emmett finish with his second and start taunting a third. Was he really going to eat another one? Jesus, he was insatiable! He wrestled with the poor animal for a minute or two, then tired of the game and drained that one as well. By the time he was finished, the others had fled.

I jumped back down to join him so we could dispose of the dead bodies. He clapped me on the shoulder as I approached.

"Thanks, Jasper," he said. "That was some fine eatin'."

"How in the hell can you eat three of those fuckers, Emmett?" I asked. "Their blood is so thick!"

Emmett patted his stomach and wiggled his brows at me. "I won't have to feed again for at least two weeks now, and it's great fuel for this sex machine. Now I can - "

"Shut up," I told him, holding my hand up. "I do _not_ want to hear that shit. Come on, let's get these bears buried so we can get back. It's getting daylight."

We worked quickly and efficiently, leaving no traces that anyone had ever been there. When we finished, Emmett challenged me to a race and we took off. I did feel better since eating the bear, but I wasn't satisfied. When we were back in Washington, I would hunt some elk for myself. A couple of those should satisfy me for a while. I wanted to eat more than usual with Edward coming over, just to be safe.

By mid morning we were back in our home state and, as luck would have it, we almost immediately came upon a herd of elk travelling straight toward Forks. We chased them toward home, and just outside Port Angeles, I decided to end the chase. I drained three large bucks, and Em helped me bury them. I finally felt satisfied.

We returned home just after noon, and had a long, hot shower before going down to the kitchen so Esme could help me plan and prepare dinner for Edward. As I entered the room, she looked up from a cookbook propped on the counter.

"You look good, son," she complimented, and I gave her a smile.

"Thank you," I said, and she slipped an apron on me. Oh my God. If anyone else saw me like this, I wouldn't hear the end of it. "So, what are you looking at?" I asked.

She pointed to the cookbook. "I was thinking a salad, roasted baby potatoes with rosemary, and a beef tenderloin steak. What do you think?"

I leaned over and looked at the picture she was talking about. It looked good enough. Hell, I knew nothing about modern cuisine. I would have to take her word for it.

"It looks fine to me," I told Esme. "Now, what do we do first?"

Esme directed me in every step of preparing my mate's meal. I quickly realized that cooking wasn't my forte, however, when I burned the potatoes and had to start them over.

While we were working, Esme told me she had snacks and drinks for Edward as well, in case he got hungry or thirsty later. I was thankful, and told her so.

Finally, the meal was done and I set it in the oven to keep warm while I waited for Emmett to bring Edward over. The family met me in the living room and surprised the hell out of me by letting me know they were all going out for the entire night.

"But I thought..." I started to say, but Alice stopped me.

"Nothing's going to happen, Jasper. I've seen it. You two are just going to have some quality time together. We will be back at first light, anyway."

"Thank you," I said sincerely, making eye contact with each one.

The sound of Emmett's Jeep approaching alerted me to the fact that he had arrived with Edward. When they came in, I was taken back by my mate's beauty. He was dressed nicely, in dark jeans and an old concert tee, and in that moment I realized just how much I had missed him today.

Edward greeted the family and finally made his way into my arms. I held him with his back against my chest, my arms around his waist, and my nose against the top of his head while my parents and siblings said goodbye and left the house.

When they were gone, Edward turned in my arms and gazed at me with a surprised expression.

"They're leaving us alone?"

I nodded with a smile.

"All night?"

"Yes," I smirked and leaned in to kiss him gently.

"Wow," he whispered.

Standing straight, I took his hands in mine and started to pull him into the kitchen.

"Hungry?" I asked.

"Starving."

"Good," I replied, pulling a chair out for him at the breakfast bar. "Sit right here, and I will bring your dinner."

My mate watched me with curious eyes as I went to the stove and got his plate. As I set it before him, along with a can of soda, he gave me another surprised look.

"Jasper, Esme didn't have to go through all this trouble," He said quietly, and i shook my head.

"Esme didn't do it." I paused. "Well, she helped."

Edward's surprised expression softened to one I could only describe as adoring. He leaned over and pressed his sweet mouth to mine in a brief kiss.

"Thank you," he whispered, and I held up his fork.

"I hope you enjoy it, babe."

While Edward ate, he filled me in on what had happened at school, which ended up being the same old shit. As he talked, I watched the emotions on his face closely. Jesus, he was so fucking beautiful. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, his full, red lips moving as he talked and chewed were amazing and so fascinating to me. I could spend many years just staring at him and I would never get tired.

Edward ate everything on his plate, telling me how good it was, and it made me proud that I could provide him with the experience.

While I washed the dishes and put them away, my mate took a shower, brushed his teeth, and dressed in thick, red flannel lounge pants and a white tee. He met me in the living room and we settled on the couch.

Edward wanted to watch a film, and I had the perfect one in mind. I'd put in the DVD without telling him what it was, and as it started, his eyes widened.

"I've been wanting to see this!" He exclaimed, and I nodded.

"Why do you think I bought it?"

"Thank you, Jasper," he said sincerely, and turned the cover over in his hands. "Shame, with Michael Fassbender. Wow."

We settled in to watch the film, and Edward was riveted. We missed the second half, however, because after the kissing scene, Edward turned in my arms and laid on top of me, kissing me urgently.

"That was hot," he mumbled against my mouth. "I want you, Jasper. Please."

I didn't need to be told twice. With vampire speed, I picked my mate up and took him to my room, forgetting all about the movie. I laid him on the bed and he took his mouth from my neck long enough only to remove his shirt before pulling me down to him again.

We kissed and sucked mouths and necks, all while rutting against each other wantonly. Every move he made against me caused pleasure and desire to spike through my body, and I wanted more.

Turning him over onto his stomach gently, I carefully pulled his pants and boxers over his hips and ass, down his legs and off. For a moment, I stared at my mate's gorgeous body, memorizing every inch of his skin.

Unable to contain myself any longer, I pressed my lips to my mate's shoulder. He jumped lightly at the temperature, then sighed, relaxing again. Slowly, I skimmed my lips across the expanse of his shoulders, pausing to lightly press a kiss to his shoulder blades. He had the most beautiful sprinkling of freckles across his skin, and I vowed to myself that, one day before he was turned, I would kiss every one. Now was not the time, however. I had other plans for my Edward tonight.

As I continued to kiss along the smooth skin of Edward's back, I slowly slid my hands up his sides and over his ribs. He giggled a bit at the tickling sensation, then sighed again.

"You are so beautiful," I whispered against the ridge of his spine, right in the middle of his back.

"Hmmm..." he hummed against his pillow, and I glanced up to see his face was completely calm. His eyes were closed, and he had a small smile on his perfect lips.

Edward's heart was like music in my ears...steady and sure, a perfect melody that played through my body, and oh, how I loved to listen. One day, I wouldn't hear it anymore, and I wanted to commit each beat I was blessed with to memory.

I continued my slow kisses down my mate's back, and the closer I got to my destination, his breathing started to escalate, his heartbeat rising.

When I reached the dimples at the top of his perfect ass, I flicked my tongue against them, and Edward moaned lightly, shifting his hips a bit. Gently, I trailed the tips of my fingers over each cheek, reveling in the softness before I graced each with my lips.

Smiling, I looked at the perfect line formed where his cheeks met. Hopefully, he would enjoy what I was going to do.

Using my hands to part them slightly, I lowered my head and tickled his ball sack with my tongue before giving it a light, teasing lick, then slid up the line until I reached his lower back. He gasped at my initial touch, then moaned below me. I parted his cheeks more and gazed at his entrance with longing. It was beautiful, pink and inviting, and I had to swallow the venom that suddenly flooded my mouth.

Lowering my lips gently to his entrance, I played my tongue over his tight hole, giving him tiny, light licks. He gasped again, then lifted his ass towards me, asking for more. He tasted wonderful and I growled lowly in appreciation before lavishing him with a long, slow lick.

"Oh...God...Jasper..." he groaned, spurring me on.

The smell of his arousal assaulted my senses, making me wild with desire. Pursing my lips, I blew a cool breath across his puckered flesh.

Edward arched his back and started to tremble.

I gently broke the seal of his tight hole, loving his loud moans of delight. Knowing the effect this is having upon him, I then glided my tongue from his sack again, hesitating a moment at his entrance, before moving up to his lower back. The small hairs tickled my cheeks as I tasted all that is my Edward. I could feel his body tensing in pleasure below my tongue's inspection of his body. My actions were having the desired effect.

My mate began to pant and writhe, uttering unintelligible curses and blessing my ears with loud moans and soft cries. I was elated at how I was making him feel. The light sheen of sweat on his body glistened in the low light. I wanted to take my time and lick every drop from his heated skin.

Quickly, I left his hole and sucked his balls into my mouth once before licking them and moving back to his entrance. Gripping his hips gently in my hands, I held him close, literally burying my face between his cheeks as I alternated between licking him firmly and sucking his balls.

My mate's cries turned to harsh whimpers as his thighs trembled under my fingertips. He tried to thrust his ass closer, but I held him still.

"Jasper!" He gasped, grasping the pillow in his fists.

With a harsh cry, he bucked back into me, and I could smell his release. I didn't stop my ministrations, however. I wanted him to feel every second of his bliss. Growling against his skin in satisfaction, I continued to stroke his hole with my tongue until he was spent.

Finally, I removed my tongue and Edward collapsed forward, in his own mess. Using my vampire speed, I got a warm wet cloth to clean him and the bed. He watched me through half lidded eyes and a sleepy grin, and it made me smile at the fact that I had pleased him so much.

I went to get rid of the cloth and Edward dressed in the clothes he had on, then slid under the sheets and duvet. As soon as he was settled, I laid beside him and pulled him against me. He sighed.

"Thank you, Jasper. That was...wow..."

Chuckling, I kissed his still damp temple.

"You're welcome. I enjoyed it too."

Edward suddenly sat up. "Oh shit, Jasper! I...you..."

He gestured awkwardly at my body and I laughed softly, pulling him back down into the position he was formerly in.

"Edward, what I did was purely for you. I don't expect anything in return. I did it because...I love you." I whispered that last part and my mate raised his head to stare into my eyes. I hoped he saw the sincerity in them, because what I told him was the truth.

"I...may not be able to say it back just yet, Jasper, but I want you to know that when I told you I am yours, I meant it. I'm pretty sure I will be able to say it soon, though."

Smiling, I leaned down and gave him a long, slow kiss. He then settled back against me, resting his hand on my chest.

"Goodnight, babe," I whispered, and he mumbled his answer back. Before ten minutes had passed, he was asleep.

All night, I held my mate close, studying him as he slept. His breaths were slow and even, and he had the duvet pulled up to his chin. His face looked angelic, with his dark lashes fanned across his cheeks and his beautiful mouth slightly open.

Since I had met Edward, this was the moment I had been waiting for. I could hold him like this forever and be content.

As the darkness of night gave way to the predawn light, my family returned home and were trying to be quiet so they didn't disturb Edward. I heard a light knock on my door and I murmured, "Come in."

The door opened and I saw Carlisle and Esme standing there, smiling, with their arms around each other.

"How did it go, son?" Carlisle asked quietly.

As I gazed into the sweet, still sleeping face of my beloved, I whispered, "Perfectly."

**Hope you liked it! Please let me know! See y'all next time!**

**Penny**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Hey y'all! Hope you enjoy what's in this chapter!**

**Thank you to DelphiusFanfic, for prereading, and to Corey, for betaing.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**JPOV**

My control had never been tested more than it was with the most intimate taste of my mate in my mouth. The feel of his skin and his scent combined with his taste had me aching to claim him, then and there. However, it wasn't the right time; he was nowhere near ready, and I had vowed to respect that. That fact alone was what allowed me to keep my desire in check. I would never do anything Edward wasn't ready for.

After Esme and Carlisle had left me alone, I continued to watch Edward sleep. Occasionally, his brow would furrow, and I wondered what he was dreaming of, hoping it was something pleasant. The warmth of his body beneath the duvet had been seeping into my side all night, and, if possible, I felt warm inside.

While I laid with him, his scent attacked my senses. It was the most divine torture. Every little movement he made caused his smell to waft around me like a cloud, and I breathed him in willingly. It was a night I would never forget.

Predawn gave way to a dark clouded morning, and Edward started to shift more in his sleep. He was making soft humming noises and they were like music to me. His eyelids fluttered a couple of times and I thought he was going to wake, but he settled back down, moving even closer to me, if that was possible.

Softly, I stroked his messy hair off of his forehead and his eyes opened slowly. As he took in my appearance, a lazy smile appeared on his red lips.

"Hmmm...morning," he mumbled, nuzzling his nose into my chest. I held him to my body firmly and leaned down to kiss the top of his head.

"Good morning, babe. Did you sleep well?"

"I think it was the best night's sleep I've ever had," he said with a quiet laugh. Oh, how I loved him.

After a few minutes, my mate shifted away from me and sat up. He stretched his arms over his head and arched his back, and the flex of his toned body caused desire to race through me. Before I could do anything stupid, I got off the bed and went to the window, studying the forest outside. I fixed my gaze on the sky, remembering Edward's taste in my mouth. Venom pooled in my mouth at the memory, and once again, I thought it was a miracle I had been able to maintain control. Swallowing hard, I noticed the clouds were dark grey, hurtling through the sky angrily. Alice had mentioned a storm earlier in the week.

"Um...Jasper... I'll be right back," Edward said, breaking the silence. I turned to see him standing next to the rumpled bed, bare chested, with his lounge pants riding low on his hips. Clenching my hands into fists at my side, I had to look back out the window. He had no idea how sexy and beautiful he was with just the simplest of things. Fuck, I wanted him.

"I'll be waiting," I told him softly, then heard the door close as he left the room.

With temptation gone for the moment, I took the time to look at the bed where he had slept. The pillow was still dented from where his head rested, and the blankets were strewn around. Sighing, I made the bed, taking my time so I could inhale my mate's fresh, warm scent as it floated up from the bedding. When I was finished, I realized someone was cooking. The scent was fairly strong. I had been too absorbed in Edward to notice.

My mate came back into the room, freshly washed and dressed, and only then did I dare to pull him to me for a morning kiss. If we had kissed while still in bed, I may not have been responsible for my actions.

Edward grinned widely at me, his eyes sparkling. "Something smells good."

I chuckled. "Let's go get you something to eat." It was easy to forget that my mate needed food sometimes. From now on, I would be sure to have food and something to drink available for him wherever we went.

We went to the kitchen, and I was surprised to see Alice, of all people, cleaning the kitchen. A plate of steaming eggs and bacon was sitting on the breakfast bar, along with a glass of orange juice.

"Morning, Edward!" Alice said happily.

"Morning," he replied with a big smile.

"I hope you like eggs and bacon," she said. "I didn't really know what to make."

"This is great, Alice," he replied. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Where is everyone?" I asked

"Esme's painting, Carlisle's reading, and Em and Rose are...you know," she said, and I shook my head. I should have known. All of us had to be privy to the noises of their bedroom play a lot of the time. I had learned to tune it out.

Edward choked a bit on his food, and I patted his back, hoping I wasn't doing it too hard.

"Are you okay?" I asked, furrowing my brow in concern.

My mate nodded and eventually gained control of himself.

"Didn't need to know that, Alice," he said with narrowed eyes and she laughed.

"Sorry. I guess we're all used to it."

Alice filled me in on the details of their night while I waited for Edward to finish eating. They had gone to the Canadian border to hunt, and she enthusiastically told me about the amount of elk there. It didn't bother me any. I would gladly give up the hunt for the chance to spend another night with my mate.

"Hey! Guess what?" Emmett said suddenly as he walked into the kitchen. Edward jumped, startled, and shook his head.

"Give a guy a warning, would ya?"

"Sorry, little bro," Emmett said and ruffled Edward's hair affectionately. I bit back my protest at my brother touching him. I knew it would be fruitless, so I took Edward's hand in mine instead. He smiled at me and gave my hand a squeeze. I knew he understood why I had done it.

"So, what are we supposed to be guessing?" Edward asked.

"As you can see," Emmett said, gesturing to the window, "it's gonna storm. As soon as it starts thundering, we are going to play baseball!"

"Okay," Edward answered, looking confused. He had no idea why the prospect of us playing baseball was so alluring.

Emmett sat on the stool on the other side of Edward.

"We can only play baseball when it thunders and storms. You'll see why when we get to the field," he explained. "We don't get to play very often, so it's something we all like to do."

"I get to go too?" My mate asked happily.

"Yes," I answered. "I think you would enjoy it."

"I bet I will, too," he replied and drained his juice glass. In a flash, Alice took his dishes to wash them.

"Feel better now?' I asked, and Edward nodded.

"Much," he grinned, and leaned in for a sweet kiss.

"Good," Emmett interrupted. "Now you can play Xbox with me."

He took Edward by the hand and pulled him out of the room. I smiled, shook my head, and glanced at Alice.

"Will it be safe for Edward to go with us?" I asked, only for her to hear.

"As far as I can see, yes," she answered. "If anything happens while we're there, I'll see it."

"Thank you," I replied and went into the living room where Emmett and Edward were sprawled out on the floor, getting ready to play a game. They got along so well, and it made me happy to know that Emmett already considered Edward a brother to him.

They played the entire morning, and when the clock read noon, I made Edward a sandwich. I also took some granola bars from the cupboard and a couple of bottles of water from the refrigerator to put in Emmett's Jeep, in case he needed them while we were playing.

Not long after Edward finished eating, lightning lit up the cloud-darkened sky and the family began getting ready to go. Edward went to my room with me while I found my baseball jersey and cap. He seemed excited to go. I pulled him to me for a lengthy kiss and put my ball cap on his head before we met the rest of the family in the living room.

"Everyone ready to have some fun?" Carlisle asked with a big smile, and we all headed out.

**/\o0O0o/\**

**EPOV**

God, the field we went to was huge. It reminded me of my meadow at home, only about fifty times bigger. It was surrounded by trees and had large rocks scattered around the edge. I could see the bases around the field, but they were far apart. Too far apart. That was weird.

Emmett, Jasper, and I walked to what I assumed was home plate, where the rest of the Cullens were gathered. They seemed happy: grinning and bantering with each other.

"Alright," Esme said in an authoritative voice. "Rose, you can pitch. I will be the umpire. Alice, you can team up with Emmett. Jasper and Carlisle, you're the other team. Let's get in position."

They started moving out into their places, and I settled on a large rock to watch. Lightening lit up the sky, followed by a loud crack of thunder. I felt like I could feel the electricity in the air. Maybe it was the excitement of the game, I didn't know.

"Okay, here we go," Rose said, and Esme called out, "Play ball!"

Alice and Emmett were up to bat first, and before my eyes could catch up to what was going on, Rose had thrown the ball and Emmett hit it hard. It sounded like thunder, and I realized then why they had to play in a storm. I didn't even see where it went, but Jasper took off into the woods while Emmett practically flew around the bases.

In a matter of seconds, Jasper was back, holding the ball in his hand. Emmett looked dejected as Esme called, "Out!"

"Aw shit," Emmett grumbled, and Alice took the bat.

She, too, hit the ball, but it didn't go as far as Emmett's. From opposite sides of the outfield, Jasper and Carlisle ran towards each other and jumped at exactly the same time. They collided in midair and it was so loud, I almost had to cover my ears. My eyes widened in surprise and I stared at them as they hit the ground, wrestling and laughing. That was amazing!

The game went on, and points were scored so fast, I couldn't keep count. It was like watching a baseball game on TV in fast forward. The storm was getting closer, and I was afraid we were going to get rained on. The sky was getting darker with each minute that passed.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Alice stood up and yelled for everyone to stop playing. In a flash, everyone was huddled around her.

"Someone's coming," she said, looking very worried.

"When?" Jasper asked, moving to stand next to me. They all looked so serious.

"Vampires?" Emmett asked.

"Now, and yes," Alice replied, and all of them stood in a line in front of the rock I was sitting on, hiding me from view.

Jasper turned around to face me.

"Don't move," he said sternly, then resumed his position.

He didn't have to worry about that. I was scared shitless, and his eyes were fierce. I had never seen him look that way before, and in that moment, he was truly terrifying.

I tried not to shake as I heard footsteps cross the clearing. The Cullens maintained their relaxed postures; I knew they would be civil to whoever it was approaching. That was just their way.

Peeking around Jasper, I saw two male vampires walking up. One was tall with long black hair, which was blowing around his face with the wind, and the other was a little shorter, with blond hair tied back into a had their arms around each other and the black haired one was barefoot. My insides lurched as I saw they both had bright red eyes. Shit. They eat people!

"Hello," the black haired man said in a smooth voice. "We heard you playing and thought you might like a few more players. I am Laurent, and this is my mate James." He smiled, showing off a set of bright white teeth.

"Actually," Carlisle replied kindly, "we were just finishing up. We don't want to get caught in the rain."

"Well, that's no fun. I guess we will go, then. We were just passing through anyway," the vampire called Laurent pouted.

Suddenly, the wind blew strongly from behind. The two strangers had started to walk away, but stopped and turned around, looking suddenly interested. Fuck the damn wind!

"Well, what is this?" Laurent asked. "Did you bring enough to share?"

As if on cue, all of the Cullens crouched into defensive stances, growling and hissing in warning.

"You will not touch him," Jasper snarled loudly, and I cringed, pulling my knees into my chest to try and make myself as small as possible.

"The boy is with us, and our son's mate," Carlisle said calmly. "It would be wise for you to go on your way."

"I'm not so sure about that," Laurent replied, tapping his finger on his chin. "He smells delicious. I bet he would make a fine toy for us to play with, don't you think, James?"

The other vampire licked his lips and gave me a stare that chilled me to my bones.

"Oh yes, Laurent. He would be so much fun. We could have a good time with him before we drained him," James told his mate, and they both laughed.

"GO! NOW!" Emmett yelled, and took a step towards the nomads.

"Fine, but you shouldn't have said that," James taunted. "What my mate wants, he gets."

They then turned around and sped away, back into the forest. As soon as they were gone, Jasper and Emmett each took one of my arms and started pulling me to the Jeep.

"What the hell just went on back there?" I demanded.

"Laurent wants you," Jasper said as he pushed me into the back seat and climbed in behind me. He slammed the door and buckled me in.

"What?" I don't understand!" I yelled as Emmett sped away from the field.

"James accidentally let it slip that Laurent is a tracker," Emmett explained.

"Tracker? What? What does that mean? I never heard any of them say it."

"A tracker is a vampire that, once he sets his sights on something, will stop at nothing to get it. When Laurent said that his mate gets what he wants, he was hinting that he was a tracker. If his mate wants it, Laurent will try to get it, no matter what," Jasper said, moving close enough to hold me tightly.

Surprised, I asked, "You'd do the same for me, wouldn't you?"

"Yes. The mate bond is indeed that strong."

Holy shit! All of a sudden, I had a crazy vampire after me? What the hell? What was I going to do? Fear gripped me in a tight vice, I started to shake, and I glanced up at Jasper's face. His expression was hard; determined.

"Jasper?" I said, and he looked at me. His features softened a little and he tried to smile.

"I will keep you safe," he said earnestly. "I swear it."

I didn't know how, and I didn't know where we were headed, but it seemed that I would have to put all of my trust in the Cullens if I wanted to survive.

**Well, there you have it! *hides* I hope y'all liked it! More to come soon!**

**Penny**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Hey y'all! This is the second to last chapter of this fic, but remember, it's a 4 fic series, so be on the lookout for the next one :)**

**Thank you to me prereader, DelphiusFanfic, and my beta, Corey. They help me make my stuff all pretty.**

**I don't own Twilight.**

**Enjoy :D**

**JPOV**

Emmett drove, rather recklessly, to Edward's house. He made sure there was no danger, and I held onto my mate while we walked to the house. When we entered, the sight that met me was surprising.

Edward's parents were standing in front of the sofa with their arms around each other, looking worried and a bit shaken. Jacob was there, standing next to Bella, and I had to bite back the growl that wanted to escape. All of my family members were standing in a group near the door, and the room was quiet.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"We told them everything, son," Carlisle explained. "We had to, in order to protect Edward to the fullest."

I glanced from my father to Edward's parents. "And?"

Edward's father cleared his throat. "It's a lot to take in," he answered slowly. "But, I can't deny what your...father...has told us is true. We have no choice but to accept it and keep the secret, for the sake of our son. However, it will take a bit of getting used to."

Nodding, I replied, "Thank you. Did Carlisle tell you that Edward is my mate?" I felt like I needed to make sure Edward's father understood how protective I would be concerning their son. As soon as Edward accepted me, it sealed the fact that not even his parents could come between us. I respected Mr. and Mrs. Masen, but the safety and needs of my mate came first. I would fight and argue anyone who tried to interfere with us.

"He did, and about Bella and Jacob too," Mr. Masen replied.

"And you understand?"

"As much as we can, I guess," he replied, and I nodded. That would have to do for now.

Scowling, I stared at Jacob. "Why are you even here? This is a vampire matter."

Shooting me a dirty look, he said, "I am here to protect Bella and her family. You dumbass. Those leeches could kill them in their search for Edward. Didn't you realize that?"

Snarling, I took a step towards the dog, intent on wiping the smirk off of his face, but Carlisle grabbed my upper arm. I whipped my head around to look at him.

"Now is not the time for this, Jasper," he said quietly. "We need to get Edward and his family to a safe place. Focus, son."

He was right. I had let my hatred for Jacob get in the way of the matter at hand. Pulling Edward into my side, I led him to the stairs.

"Come on. Let's get a bag packed."

My senses were on high alert as we travelled to his room. I tried to see if I could smell any other vampires, but Jacob's scent was so strong, I could only smell him.

Once inside my mate's bedroom, I searched it quickly while Edward shoved clothes into a bag. After a moment, he asked me to go into the bathroom and get his toiletries, and I figured it would get him packed faster if I complied.

When I returned, the bedroom was empty. Edward's bag was laying open on the bed, with clothes hanging out of it. Where the fuck did he go?

Then I saw it. His window was open. Oh fuck, he had been taken! Panic and rage like I had never known raced through my body, and I dropped to my knees, a roaring growl bursting from my throat. No! It couldn't be possible! No one could take him away from me, especially right from under my nose.

"No!" I screamed. "Edward!"

Suddenly, my family was at my side, followed by my mate's parents. Emmett examined the window while Carlisle and Alice knelt next to me. I held my face in my hands with dry sobs wracking my body.

"Edward...gone...taken..." I mumbled in a raspy voice, and Alice rubbed my back, trying to calm me.

"Don't worry, Jasper," she whispered. "We'll get him back."

"What is going on?" Mr. Masen demanded, and Esme explained that one of the vampires we were trying to protect Edward from had taken him, using the scent of Jacob as a cover.

As I listened to her, I became so enraged that my breath came out in sharp pants. Jacob! This was all his fucking fault. If he hadn't tainted the house with his awful stink, I would have smelled the nomads coming.

Without warning, I jumped at the wolf, snarling and snapping my teeth. There was nothing I wanted more in that moment than to rip out his throat and tear him limb from limb. He pushed Bella away, and caught me as I lunged.

"What the hell, man?" he yelled.

"This is _your_ fault!" I growled wickedly. "If this place didn't smell like _fucking dog_, this wouldn't have happened!"

Even through my rage filled mind, I could hear Bella screaming and yelling for me to get off of Jacob, but I ignored her. He tried to push me off, but I had him pinned against the wall with my hand pressing in on his throat. He didn't want to fight, but I was ready to kill.

Carlisle and Emmett pulled me off of Jacob and led me out of the room. I was straining against them, but the two combined were too strong. There was nothing for me to do but give up.

They towed me outdoors, into the front yard, and I fell to my knees. I was still panting and growling, with my hands clenched into fists at my sides. If I were human, my palms would have been bleeding from my nails biting into them.

"Jasper, you can't do this right now," Carlisle said in his ever soft voice. "We have to find Edward, and the faster we get away from Jacob's scent, the easier it will be."

Before I could answer, Alice ran out the front door and over to us.

"I know where he is!" she said frantically.

Quickly, I got to my feet.

"Where?"

"In Port Angeles, at an abandoned warehouse."

"Is he hurt?" I demanded.

"Not that I could tell, but we have to hurry!"

Taking on the role as leader, Carlisle said, "Emmett, Jasper, and Alice, get to Port Angeles. Esme and I will take the rest of Edward's family home and watch over them. Please, be safe."

With a final nod, I followed Emmett and Alice to the Jeep and got in. Emmett drove like a maniac through the streets: running red lights and stop signs. It was a wonder he didn't get pulled over, and the whole time during the ride, I tapped my foot against the floor impatiently.

All sorts of questions and scenarios flooded my mind. Were James and Laurent taking turns feeding from and fucking him? Were they torturing him by biting him and letting him feel the burn of venom in his veins before finally putting him out of his misery by draining him dry? Just the thought of arriving where they were hiding and finding my sweet, pure mate beaten, lifeless, and cold sent shudders of fear running through my body. We had to get there in time! We just _HAD _to! I needed to save Edward from those monsters, as fast as I possibly could.

Alice gave Emmett directions to the warehouse she had seen in her mind as we entered Port Angeles. By all the twists and turns we were taking, it seemed that the place was on the back side of the town, in an abandoned shipyard.

Finally, we drove up to the warehouse and, despite Emmett and Alice's warnings to wait for them, I sped out of the car and into the old building. The place looked like it could cave in at any minute, and I prayed to whatever gods were out there that it wouldn't before I got my Edward out.

A rough cry brought me out of my musings, and I raced to the back of the structure, searching for my mate. I found him in one of the back rooms, tied to two beams, shirtless and shaking. Tears were flowing incessantly down his pale cheeks, and Laurent was standing over him, clearly aroused.

"Where is your mate, Laurent?" I yelled, and he snapped his eyes from Edward to me.

"Well, look at what we have here," he crooned with a big smile. "Come to watch the party? Did you want to say goodbye before James returns and we share this delectable morsel?"

He tapped Edward's chest with his finger, and he tried to flinch away, whimpering.

"Get your hands off of him," I snarled, and jumped at him. He dodged, sliding on his knees past me, and in a flash, was on his feet again.

We circled each other, growling and snapping, and Edward's cries for help was the fuel that spurred me on to hurry and kill the bastard that dared take him from me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice untie Edward and lead him out of the room. Thank God. Me and Emmett could take this poor excuse for a vampire.

Laurent lunged at me and I sidestepped, taking him by the arm and giving a mighty twist. It ripped off with the sound of squealing metal. he turned on me, enraged and screaming out a feral growl. He tried to swing with his other arm, and Emmett grabbed it in midair and wrenched it free from his body.

Laurent fell to his knees on the floor, and I knelt beside him. In his anger, he tried to bite me, but I was able to dodge him easily.

I grabbed his head, one hand in his hair and the other on his chin, and forced him to look at me.

"Never. Try. To. Take. Another. Man's. Mate," I spat, and twisted with all of my strength until, with an awful screeching noise, I held his head in my hands.

Emmett finished dismembering the bastard and we piled all of his parts in the middle of the floor. I ripped a few loose boards from the wall and threw them on top before pulling a lighter out of my pocket, lighting it, and tossing it onto the pile.

Bright orange flames erupted immediately, which caught the wood on fire too, and hazy purple smoke started to waft up toward the roof. Emmett stood beside me as I watched the nomad burn, and we were silent until there was nothing left but a pile of ash.

Squeezing my shoulder, Emmett said, "Come on. Let's go see about your boy."

We went back out to the Jeep and got in. Edward was huddled in the corner of the back seat, and I held him against me, even though he was trembling. I was so happy to have him back.

Thankfully, Emmett had the heater on all the way and drove home at a more safe pace. When we got there, I left Emmett and Alice to explain to Edward's parents and ours what happened in Port Angeles, and I took Edward up to the bathroom, so I could clean him up.

Edward was trying so hard not to cry as I undressed him and turned on the shower. He kept sniffing and rubbing under his eyes. When I felt that the water was ready, I held out my hand and encouraged my mate to take it. He gripped my hand hard as we entered the shower together, and while he stood under the hot spray, I lathered up a soft washcloth with my soap.

My mate stared at the tiled floor of the shower, unmoving, while I tenderly washed him all over. I knew he wanted the smell of dirt and Laurent off of himself just as much as I wanted it off. When I was finished, I lifted his head with my finger under his chin, so he was looking at me. His eyes were red rimmed and leaking big, fat tears.

Carefully, I pulled him against me and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "You're safe now," I whispered, and he couldn't hold on any longer.

Deep, heart wrenching sobs escaped from my mate's throat as he clung to me for dear life. He mumbled things like 'I'm sorry' and 'So scared' and 'Thought I was going to die'. My dead heart twisted at his pain and all I could do was hold him tighter and keep reassuring him that he was safe and I would never let anything like what he had been through happen to him again.

The water had cooled when Edward finally got control of himself, and he rinsed off one more time before getting out of the shower. I reached down and turned the water off, then followed him to the sink, where he was scrubbing himself with a towel.

I did the same, and was dressed before he could pull his tee over his head. When he was finished, wearing the same clothes he slept in before when he spent the night, I took his hand and led him to the bed, tucking him in securely.

As soon as I laid down beside him, he scooted as far as he could get into my side and wrapped both of his arms around the one of mine closest to him. If he needed to hold on to me like that all night, to help him feel that he wasn't alone, so be it. I needed him to know that I would be there for him.

Slowly, I stroked Edward's hair off of his face as he drifted off to sleep. I watched his slow breaths for a moment, until a knock on the door got my attention.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened, and Carlisle, along with Mr. and Mrs. Masen came into my room. They walked to Edward's side of the bed, and his mom trailed a finger down his cheek.

"Is he alright?" she whispered.

"Yes. He just needs rest," I answered.

"Maybe you could carry him to the car so we can take him home," she said, and if my heart were beating, I would be able to feel it in my throat.

Looking down at my mate, I said, "Please, let him stay the night here. I...need him to stay. I almost lost him today, and I need to know he is real and warm and alive beside me tonight. Please..."

Mrs. Masen glanced at Carlisle, who explained, "What happened tonight nearly killed Jasper just as much as it nearly killed Edward. If Jasper had lost his mate, he would literally go insane. That's how strong the bond is between them, and he is right; they need to be close tonight."

Slowly, the Masens took turns looking from Carlisle, to me, to Edward, and back to Carlisle. I held my breath in anticipation of what they would say. Finally, after seconds that felt like lifetimes, Mr. Masen nodded.

"He can stay," he told me with a small smile, and my body was flooded with relief and thanks.

"Thank you," I murmured, and the three of them left the room before Mrs. Masen could protest. Right before closing the door, Carlisle looked at me with a soft smile.

"I'm happy he's safe and home, son. Goodnight."

The door then clicked shut behind him.

With a big unnecessary sigh, I snuggled into Edward. I came so close to losing him, and if I had, my life, such as it was, would be over. I knew what I would have to do if Edward were taken from me. There would be no other choice but for me to end my existence.

Thankfully, that didn't happen tonight. My mate was safe and healthy in my arms, and nothing else mattered.

**Hope y'all enjoyed! Till next time...**

**Penny**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: I can't tell y'all how much I have loved writing this fic. It was awesome to take the Twilight theme and put my own spin on it. This is the last chapter of this one, but remember: it's a 4 fic series. There is much more of these boys to come!**

**I want to take the time to thank my prereader, DelphiusFanfic, and my beta Corey. They work so hard to help make this presentable for y'all.**

**A special thank you goes to DelphiusFanfic, cause she is the one who got sooo excited over this. She helped me work through blocks and plot countless times, and has always been a great asset and inspiration for me. She deserves some of the credit for this fic, cause without her, it would be nothing like it is :) **

**As always, I do not own Twilight. It belongs solely to Stephenie Meyer.**

**I hope you enjoy.**

**EPOV**

I had never feared for my life more than in the moment when I was taken from my room by that crazy vampire. It was so scary. He jumped in the window as soon as Jasper was out of sight. I was out of the window with his hand over my mouth before I even had time to think of struggling. When he threatened to drain my blood right there if I screamed, there was nothing for me to do but be quiet. In my terror, my mind was racing with questions. Would I ever get to see my family again? What would it do to Mom and Dad if I were killed?

My heart ached at the thought of my Mom crying over my cold grave while my Dad tried to comfort her. At least with me being turned they knew eventually I would be there and in her life once more. The thought of being turned made my mind go to Jasper. Never being able to see him again made my heart almost break.

Fuck, if I were a vampire, I could at least fight back! Being only human, I didn't stand a chance.

So, as he slung me onto his back and ran away, it was so cold and wet, I was shivering. I buried my face against his back as best I could, to try to keep the stinging wind out of my eyes, and to hopefully stay warm by my own body heat.

It felt like he ran for ages, and when he dumped me unceremoniously on the dirty wood floor of some building, I was soaked and numb from the cold.

James, I think, then went to the other man and they shared a long kiss. I could have tried to run for it, but I knew that if I did, they would be able to catch me right away with their super speed. There was nothing for me to do but wait to see what was going to happen.

Laurent walked over, pulled me up onto my feet, and tied me up by my wrists to some loose boards against the wall. He looped the pieces of rope through cracks in the good part of the wall, pulling tight so I couldn't move my arms. Briefly, I wondered where we were, but quickly decided it didn't matter, because I was sure I was going to die there.

Instead, I chose to let my last thoughts be of Jasper. He had become so important to me, and the thought of dying here, in this awful place, made me wonder what would happen to him after I was gone. Would he go on, living as a loner? Would he find someone else?

Closing my eyes, I thought of the first time I took him to the clearing behind the house. He was amazing when he went after Jacob that day, and I couldn't help but want him alone. What happened while we were in my private meadow would forever be etched into my memory as well. It was absolutely perfect.

I just couldn't get my head around the fact that Jacob was also a creature that wasn't supposed to be real. I had barely gotten used to the fact that vampires really do exist and I'm dating one. When, all of a sudden, now there are werewolves too. It was too overwhelming and part of me was happy to stay away from Jacob just so I wouldn't have to deal with it. Not only was it easier for me, but it made my boyfriend happy.

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud yell. My eyes snapped open and I searched the room to see where the noise came from. When I saw it, I wished like all hell I hadn't looked. James and Laurent were fucking in the nearest corner, right in front of me! What the fuck was going on?

I squeezed my eyes closed and tried to ignore their noises, secretly happy that they were so involved with each other. It gave me hope that, maybe, Jasper would be able to find me before anything bad happened.

Finally, after what seemed like hours later, they stopped and a cold hand twisted into the back of my hair, pulling my face up. I kept my eyes closed. Smooth lips and a nasty feeling tongue pressed against my mouth, and in an automatic reaction, I brought my knee up, right into his crotch.

Surprised, James let me go and I felt a sharp sting on my cheek. He slapped me. Well, I could handle that, as long as he didn't try to kiss me again.

"Feisty, this one," James sneered, and Laurent walked up, still buckling his belt.

"Yes, he is. Go fetch more rope, and maybe something to gag him with, too. I promise I won't play...much."

With a wicked grin, James sped away and Laurent trailed his finger down my cheek.

"I think you will be our favorite," he crooned in a sickly sweet voice. It made me feel nauseous.

He then shocked me by grabbing my shirt and ripping it so it fell away from my body in tatters. I sucked in a harsh breath from the cold air and Laurent chuckled.

"Don't worry," he told me. "James and I will make you nice and warm soon enough."

He reached out and ran his hand down my chest, and I tried to push further into the wall to get away from him. I made a disgusted noise in the back of my throat, and he slapped me on the same cheek James had, making me cry out in pain.

Right after that, things happened very sound of wood breaking and loud snarling filled my fear addled brain, and I heard Jasper yell something, but couldn't understand it. Oh God, he was here! He came for me. I was so relieved to hear his voice.

Laurent answered him while tapping his finger against my chest. I whimpered, tears falling fast and hard. It was fear mixed with relief, and it was all I could do to keep from sobbing out loud.

I heard Jasper say something else, and as my brain caught up to what was going on, I started yelling for help. My eyes were glued to the sight of Jasper, Emmett, and Laurent pacing around each other, waiting for someone to pounce. Suddenly, I was being untied and it wasn't until I was outside that I realised it was Alice who had gotten me out of there. I wanted to protest and make her let me go so I could be with Jasper, but I couldn't. My whole body was numb from the shock of the entire situation.

She took me to a car and put me in the back seat, where I curled up into a ball, shaking like hell. Thankfully, the heater was on, and it felt so good on my freezing skin.

I didn't know how much time had passed before Jasper and Emmett got back in the car. Jasper sat beside me and pulled me against him. He was cold, but I didn't care. I clung to him like he was a life preserver in the ocean. His arms around me was the only thing I needed at the moment - to feel safe and protected and know he was there.

The ride back to their house was spent with the Cullens talking quietly to each other, and I just rested against Jasper, not caring what they were talking about.

When we got there, Jasper took me up to the bathroom, closed the door, and turned on the shower. He undressed me and it was all I could do not to break down. I was so relieved to be back.

Jasper helped me into the shower and the hot water felt so damn good raining down on me. In that awful place, I was so afraid I'd never be warm again. I stared at the floor while Jasper washed me all over, and when I was turned around and rinsed, he put his finger under my chin and lifted my face to his. Jasper taking care of me like he was made me feel loved, and cherished.

"You're safe now," he whispered earnestly, and the dam broke within me. I held on to Jasper and sobbed out all my fear, mumbling against him how scared I was and how I thought I was going to die. He kept whispering to me that he would never let anything like that happen again. I also apologized to him, for putting him through the trouble of having to find and fight for me.

It wasn't until the water had cooled that I finally got control over my emotions, and we got out of the shower. I dried and noticed that someone had brought clothes in for me. It didn't matter who, or how, or even what the clothes were. I was just thankful.

Jasper took me to his room and when I saw the bed, exhaustion crashed over me like a huge wave. I wanted to sleep for days. He tucked me in and laid beside me, like when I slept over. I wrapped both my arms around his arm closest to me and held on tight. He never said anything about it, so I guessed he didn't mind. It was true that I felt a pull to him; it just wasn't him needing me, I needed him too.

I wondered where my parents were and how they were doing. Surely, all of this had been a shock to them, and I needed them to know I was alright.

As I fell asleep, I vaguely felt Jasper's cool fingers combing through my hair.

**/\o0O0o/\**

I had to admit that after the attack, I was a little wary of people. Home and the Cullens were all fine, but if I went anywhere public, I always found myself looking in corners and shadows, trying to see if any of the eyes I saw were red.

Mom and Dad noticed and understood my fear. They told me it was nothing to be ashamed of and that the ordeal was finally behind me. I knew that they were trying to help me feel better, and they made sure to tell me, over and over, how happy they were I was home.

Slowly, as the months passed, my fear became less, and I finally became comfortable again. That didn't mean I forgot about what happened, though. I never would forget it.

As a matter of fact, being taken had showed me one thing. I did love Jasper. Being so close to death had made me realise that I didn't want to be without him, ever, and that being changed into a vampire so we could spend eternity sounded just right.

**JPOV**

It was hard, knowing Edward was afraid to go out. Even when we went out together, he was a bit subdued. Of course, I reassured him every chance I got that he was well protected, but for a while, he couldn't seem to shake the fear. I did feel guilty, and told Edward so, but he told me not to be. Yeah, like that would be easy.

As the months went by, however, he managed to get through it, and I was glad. At first, I thought he might tell me he couldn't handle it and leave me, but he didn't. Thank fuck for that.

Winter gave way to Spring, and throughout that time, I was surprised to see my mate's parents accept me and my family. They spent a lot of time together, hosting dinners and movie nights, and even though we were from different worlds, we all got along very well.

As the snow and ice melted away, the school was buzzing about Prom. It was a silly tradition, and I had been to them more times than I could count, but Esme enjoyed doting on us as we dressed up and went out. What she didn't know was that after photos were made, my siblings and I would go on a massive hunt. That made the whole ridiculousness of it worthwhile.

This year however, I had a very good reason to go. I would be taking Edward to his first prom, and I wanted to make it a memorable experience for him. That meant I couldn't go on the hunt with my siblings, but I didn't care.

A part of me wondered if Edward would want to do what so many high school kids did after the prom, which was rent a room. Of course, I didn't want to let him down, but I just couldn't do that with him. I knew why the kids rented rooms. They waited on pins and needles all through the dance, so they could go to their selected hotels and lose their virginity, or at least drink and have sex. Of course, I wanted nothing more than to take my mate and claim him, but not in that setting.

I couldn't drink, and I definitely wasn't taking my mate in a hotel room somewhere. Our first time would be special, not just a quick fuck for the sake of doing it. Edward didn't strike me as the type who would want to do that, but who knew what would be going on in his testosterone riddled mind.

As the day drew closer, I felt like I was losing part of my manhood every time I walked into the school. Girls were huddled everywhere, talking and giggling about dresses and shoes and how they wanted their hair. It really was sickening.

Some of the boys were just as bad as the girls, especially the football players. They felt like they had an image to uphold, and boasted about limousines and tuxes and their plans for their dates after the dance, which mostly involved condoms and alcohol, just as I thought.

A couple of days before the event, Alice took every opportunity to get Edward alone. I knew what she was doing. She was trying to get him to let her pick out his tuxedo. Knowing him, he would, just to keep her quiet. I found it rather funny, except for the fact that she was monopolizing almost all of his time. He had the patience of a saint.

As I watched the sun rise through the trees outside my window on the morning of the prom, I reflected on all the events that had happened in such a short amount of time. I found my mate, and he accepted me. We had some wonderful times together so far, getting to know each other and developing our relationship.

Before he came to Forks, I had thought I would be alone forever, but I was so thrilled that I was wrong. The lonely feelings and longing for my mate had gone, and a peacefulness had settled in my dead heart. I loved Edward more and more each day. He hadn't said the words back to me yet, but I could wait. I knew he would when he was ready, and not before. I was glad for that. I didn't want him to say it if he didn't mean it. Then, the disaster of the ball game and kidnapping happened, and I was so proud of my Edward for recovering so well. It seemed almost like it hadn't happened.

I was still lost in my thoughts when Alice knocked on my door and told me it was time to go. Focusing my eyes back out the windows, I noticed that the sky had clouded over nicely. Turning, I told her I would be ready in a minute then dressed in my suit. It was a regular, standard black suit, with a black waistcoat, shirt, and silk tie. My shoes were shined to a high polish, and the finishing touch was a red carnation in my lapel. I had one for Edward, too, and tucked it into my pocket.

Esme had a grand time posing her 'children' for photos, and once that bit was over, we headed out in our separate cars. Alice had bought herself a vivid yellow Dodge Viper for the occasion, and was more than ready to show it off.

Luckily, it wasn't raining as I arrived at my mate's home. I got out of the car and walked to the door, which opened before I had a chance to knock.

"Well, Jasper, don't you look handsome!" Mrs. Masen exclaimed as she ushered me inside. It didn't escape my notice that she had a camera in her hand. She was a lot like Esme.

"Just come over here and stand beside Bella and Jacob," she continued, and led me over by the staircase. I made sure Jacob saw my nasty look as I passed him, and he huffed. I couldn't help it; it wasn't as if I was happy to be in his presence.

All thoughts of Jacob left my mind as Edward and his father came out of the kitchen. Hell, all thoughts of _everything_ left my mind, except restraining myself from taking him right there on the floor in front of everyone.

He looked fucking divine, wearing an expertly tailored traditional tuxedo. It had a red waistcoat and tie, which brought out the green of his eyes and highlighted his hair. I noticed he had tried to tame it a bit, but he only managed to make it look like he had been freshly fucked, and I committed that image to memory.

As he approached me, I couldn't help myself, and I pulled him hard against me, hissing in his ear. "Fucking incredible."

That gorgeous blush I loved so much spread across his cheeks and I kissed him chastely before reaching in my pocket for his carnation. Once it was pinned firmly in place, Mrs. Masen made all of us pose for photos, and it felt like it took forever. For a vampire, that says a lot.

Mr. Masen finally had to reign her in, and he walked all of us to the door. He shook Jacob's hand first, and threatened him with his life if he messed with Bella, which I found extremely funny, and had to suppress a laugh. He shook my hand at the door, as well, and gave me a knowing look.

"Yes sir," I replied, holding Edward close. "And I will keep him safe."

He nodded at me and thankfully, we were free to go. Just like always, I opened the passenger door for my mate, and once I was settled in the driver's side, I couldn't help myself any longer.

Leaning over, I cupped the back of Edward's neck in my hand and pulled him to me for a searing kiss that, by the time I was finished, had him gasping for breath. Grinning at me, he said, "Wow."

With a wink, I started the car and drove away.

Forks High School Prom was just as typical as every other one I had been to: streamers, balloons, cheesy decorations, and an idiot photographer. Esme would murder me if I didn't get the customary photo for her, so Edward and I obliged. However, instead of looking at the camera, we looked at each other. I briefly wondered what she would think of that.

We made the rounds in the gymnasium, saying hello to all of Edward's friends. They seemed surprised that I was being somewhat sociable, but tonight was for Edward.

The evening wore on and when my mate was tired of the noise of staying inside, we went out behind the gym where a couple of gazebos were set up, complete with speakers to filter the music out there, strung with twinkling white lights. Of course, there were chaperones around, but only a few people, and I led my mate to the closest enclosure.

Under the lights, his skin positively glowed, and he reminded me of an angel sent straight from Heaven, just for me. Carefully, I pulled him close and started to lead him in a slow dance. We were silent for a long time, just basking in each others presences. There was no need for words.

Eventually, Edward raised his head from my shoulder to look at me.

"Jasper, can I ask you something?" he asked in a timid voice.

"Anything," I replied softly.

"Well, I was thinking recently, after the attack..."

He glanced around the dark lawn briefly.

"Yes?" I prompted, and he trained his eyes back on mine.

"Wouldn't it be easier for you to just turn me and get it over with? Then we wouldn't have to worry about stuff like that anymore."

He looked hopeful, but I sighed.

As gently as I could, I said, "No, Edward. You still have a year of school left and you're not ready."

"But what if I was ready?" His eyes pleaded with mine to understand, just like mine did his.

"I can't. Not yet," I whispered.

"Why not?"

"Let me ask you a question, babe. Who do you want to be the one to change you?"

My mate looked surprised for a moment.

"You, of course!"

"That's what I thought you were going to say," I explained. "If I tried to change you myself now, I would lose control and I can't risk it. Just the thought of biting you and tasting your blood has my mouth filling with venom. I would have you drained in a matter of minutes, because you would taste so damn good that I wouldn't be able to stop."

I knew that sounded harsh, but he had to know the truth. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"I see your point, but would you promise me one thing?"

"What is it?" I asked while brushing his hair off of his forehead.

"When the time comes, will you be the one to bite me?"

"I would love nothing more," I replied honestly, and his answering smile was brilliant. He laid his head back on my shoulder once again, and we danced in silence.

Just as the last of the song was playing through the speakers, my beautiful mate looked at me again.

"Jasper?"

"Yes, my Edward?"

"I've been thinking of something else, too." He bit his lip nervously, and I raised an eyebrow.

"What's that?"

"There's no one I ever want to be with but you. There's nowhere I want to be unless you're there." He paused for a minute, and I could hear his heartbeat rise a little with his nervousness. Patiently, I waited for him to continue.

He locked eyes with me and the emotion they carried nearly brought me to my knees.

"I love you, Jasper," he said softly, earnestly.

Fuck, those words coming from the one person I knew I could never be without was astounding. I swear it felt like my dead heart leaped in my chest at his admission, and I didn't think I could be any happier than I was in that moment.

Holding my Edward, my beautiful, smart, funny, and incredible mate tightly against me, I kissed the top of his head.

"I love you too, Edward," I replied in a near whisper. "For eternity."

**Well, the first installment of the series is finished. I hope y'all liked it.**

**I want to thank the readers and reviewers for sticking with me throughout this...you all have been amazing. I only have one thing to add:**

**To the people who flame fics: If you don't like something, do not read it. It's that simple. Please do not review a fic just to tell the author all the things you find wrong with it. Authors work hard, for free, to bring you entertainment, and I honestly don't think you understand how hurtful and degrading flames are. This story is a fanfiction, based on the Twilight saga. It has canon elements in it, which did not come from me. If you don't like those attributes, please take that up with the original author, St****ephenie ****Meyer, instead of writing repeated reviews complaining about said canon elements :)**

**There, with that said, I want to remind y'all that the next fic in the series is coming very soon. It's called 'When Midnight Calls', and I hope you will check it out and continue these boys' journey with me. :)**

**It's been a pleasure...till next time...**

**Penny**


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